


Broken Magic and Lost Love

by vocalspaz88



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M, Multi, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-13
Updated: 2013-06-07
Packaged: 2017-12-05 05:32:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 51,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/719428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vocalspaz88/pseuds/vocalspaz88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eridan Ampora was never the kindest, or the strongest, or even the smartest of trolls, but when he is dealt the one hand that will break him down, will he be able to make it through the game whole, or will everyone leave the highblood to the mercy of his mind?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

 Eridan Ampora was a… Difficult troll to tolerate. He was arrogant, he was dramatic, and when he was upset, a quite common occurrence, he could get just plain nasty.  But even he didn’t deserve the hard hand he was dealt in life. After a relaxed and joyful childhood full of love and magic, adolescence was like a slap in the face, bringing more tears and more pain than even he could handle.

Morning as usual, was morning. Unlike most trolls, Eridan never slept in his cocoon. He hated the slimy green soper getting in every crack and hollow of his body, and it always made his hair obnoxiously greasy. So instead, every single night when the sun rose high in the sky, Eridan would change into his pajamas, dive into the chilly Alternian Sea and curled up in the warm protective tail of his giant seahorse custodian, Neptune. It was childish he knew, but nothing made him feel safer. He loved his lusus, they were close, and together, their rest was always peaceful. That particular night was no different, when he woke up in the morning; there was a gentle whinnying in his ear, and a snout nudging at his neck. The troll rolled over, groaning for five more minutes, still not all awake as he snuggled the creature’s tail. He had each of his limbs wrapped tightly around it.  With an impatient snort, Neptune got up from the sandy sea floor with his young troll still holding on, and began swimming towards the surface.  Eridan yelped, clinging tighter. He was completely awake now, eventually managing to scramble onto his guardians back. Generally, it was a great spot for riding, but then his steed jerked to a stop, playfully flinging him onto dry land.

Smirking a bit, Eridan rolled onto his stomach and propped himself up with his elbows, chin resting on his folded hands. “Gee, thanks,” He chuckled, watching as the animal splashed around, celebrating his own amusement. “See if I get ya an apple noww, don’t you expect one.”

He patted the white snout affectionately. “Sit tight Nep,” He said, standing up and heading back inside. He immediately stripped and threw his pajamas in the wash, kicking fake wands aside as he made his way to the bathroom. He couldn’t help but sneer at the mess on the floor before leaving it behind, he hated all the clutter, and he just loathed it when things were out of place. It put him in a grouchy mood, but not nearly as much as being a mess himself. That was unacceptable. Period.

So after showering up, he wrapped a towel around his waist and worked on his hair, artfully sculpting the tresses into a styled mess. He was the only troll who ever bothered to add a dash of color to that universal black they all supported. He liked it, the purple made his eyes brighter, and when he was older and they finally shifted into his blood color, it would look even better. After every last strand was in place, he dressed, grabbed his rifle, and slung Neptune’s favorite saddle over his shoulder. And just when he was about to walk out the door, he paused, backed into the kitchen and plucked a juicy red apple from the bowl on the counter. All set, he headed outside only to be stopped once more, though not by his own mind. What stopped him now, was his computer. It gave a spirited sort of chime, alerting him that someone was actually trying to communicate with him.

Frowning, the seadweller approached the computer. No one usually contacted him on their own, his constant griping about the lowblooded filth that inhabited the land of their planet and his salivating over war history got under the skin of most everyone he knew. He was lonely at times, but he had his custodian, and he did by some miracle have a moiral, so it was most of the time quite bearable.  It was stupid really, but he always seemed to get so flustered around others of his kind, the lowbloods especially. Though his claim to superiority was nothing but pure truth, the talk of dooms day devices and actually killing them all was mostly just talk. It was intended to make him sound tough, like a hero from his war books, but he always wound up looking like a giant prick instead. It didn’t earn him too many friends, and yet, from the age of just two sweeps, his moiral stuck with him. He and Feferi Pixsis were just meant for each other. Even back then she was all he had. So when he saw her troll tag and her signature pink type, his heart jumped in his chest. Though it turned out that the chime had only meant to alert him of her logging on, Eridan decided he wanted to message her anyway, they hadn’t talked in a while.

                cuttlefishCuller [CC] began trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]   
  
CC: W)()()()()(-E-E-E-E-EW.   
CA: fef your online   
CC: Yea)(...   
CA: its been forevver   
CA: i wwas gettin wworried kinda   
CC: Yes, it was a pretty close call, and got kind of complicated.   
CC: But Sollux finally came t)(roug)(, my tablet is fixed!   
CA: man that guy   
CA: hes a fuckin drama machine it is fuckin pathetic   
CC: YOUR STUPID FIS)(Y FAC-E IS T)(-E DRAMA MAC)(IN-E T)(AT DO-ES NOT)(ING BUT W)(IN-E AND GLUB.   
CC: 38P   
CA: fuck SORRY   
CA: i wwas just really wworried and stressed out i thought you wwere dead   
CA: and i just spent all this time here wworryin and thinkin about stuff   
CA: and i decided i havve something i wwant to tell you   
CA: that ivve been meaning to get off my nub for a wwhile noww   
CC: O)(, really?   
CC: T)(at's good! Actually, I )(ave somet)(ing I )(ave been meaning to say to you too.   
CA: wwhoa really   
CA: uh   
CA: wwhat is it   
CA: you go first   
CC: Mm, okay.   
CC: But t)(is isn't easy to say!   
CA: yeah i knoww   
CA: its ok maybe i wwill understand more than you think   
CA: wwe might evven be sayin the same thing   
CC: Okay, I )(ope so.   
CC: I t)(ink...   
CC: Now t)(at you’re behaving, and aren’t really posing much of a threat to our people anymore...   
CC: I t)(ink it is not really necessary for me to be your moiral.   
CA: wwhoa   
CA: wwait   
CA: wwhat   
CC: 38(   
CC: I am really sorry, -Eridan. It )(as just been so )(ard looking after you and keeping you out of trouble!   
CC: It )(as taken its toll, and )(onestly I am really ex)(austed.   
CA: fuck   
CA: this isnt what   
CA: i dont knoww i wwasnt expectin this at all   
CA: im not sure i can handle this   
CC: I'm sorry!!! 38'(   
CC: It will be t)(e best for bot)( of us. We can just sort of be...   
CC: Regular friends instead.   
CA: no   
CA: please dont   
CA: look im bein serious here dont do this   
CA: i wont even use my weird accent while i type ok so you know im bein really dead serious and honest about this   
CC: Uh...   
CC: Okay, I am being serious and honest too. SEE?   
CA: ok good   
CA: are you sure you arent bein hasty about this  
CA: i mean we are supposed to be fated to be moirails arent we   
CA: isnt that how it works   
CA: you cant just throw all that away cause youre sick of me   
CC: I am not sick of you, Eridan! I still really like you.   
CC: In order to be destined for moirallegience, both people have to be on board, don't you think?   
CC: But I cannot do it anymore. So I think it just wasn't meant to be all along.   
CC: And really, you just don't need me anymore. You are free to do as you wish! We both are.   
CC: I can't look after you anymore.   
CA: I DIDNT EVER NEED ANYONE TO LOOK AFTER ME   
CA: i was totally fuckin fine  
CA: and the only reason i put up with stickin my flipper in this fuckin shithole quadrant with you was   
CC: Was what?   
CA: nevermind   
CC: Tell me!   
CA: ok fine   
CA: i apologize for losin my shit over this i was just caught off guard is all   
CA: but maybe its a good thing really   
CA: actually i might a been proposin the same thing to be honest  
CC: Oh?   
CA: yeah   
CA: fef have you thought about   
CA: since you dont wanna be pale with me no more   
CA: the possibility a some other type of arrangement with me   
CC: What do you mean?   
CA: i mean   
CA: somethin a bit more   
CA: kinda reddish   
CA: like   
CA: brighter red   
CC: 38O   
CC: No, I hadn't thought about it!   
CA: ok well what do you think about it   
CA: now that youre thinkin about it   
CC: Um...   
CC: I really don't know about that.   
CA: why not i thought you said you liked me   
CC: I do! But I don't know if it's really in that way.   
CA: couldnt it be though   
CA: dont you think theres room in your collapsin and expandin bladder based aquatic vascular system for those feelins   
CC: I've never had a chance to consider anything like that! I have just spent all my time worrying about you and trying to keep you from irritating everybody or hurting yourself.   
CC: It took all my energy.   
CC: I don't think I have anything left for those feelings either.   
CA: oh god   
CC: What?   
CA: im the biggest fuckin idiot who ever lived   
CA: i cant BELIEVE i just opened up to you like a chump when i knew what was comin   
CA: i am one sad fuckin brinesucker   
CA: overemotional sappy trash youre right im not better than anybody   
CA: im worse than anybody   
CA: EVERYBODY   
CA: all the bodies   
CC: STOP!!!!!!!!!!!   
CC: God.   
CC: Will you just clam up for once in your life?   
CC: Always carping and carping and carping!   
CC: You go completely overboard with your emotions, always looking to reel in drama wherever you can.   
CC: I am up to my gills in it! I just can't salmon the strength anemonemore.   
CA: i cannot   
CA: BELIEVE   
CA: you are doin the fish pun thing while youre breakin up with me   
CA: real nice   
CA: whoops i mean REEL nice   
CC: HEHEHE, sorry.   
CC: But really, this shouldn't be as bad as it sounds.   
CC: It's time to focus on something new and ------EXCITING.   
CC: So )(ang in t)(ere, -Eridan.   
CC: I )(ave to go now! Sollux is having trouble, and I )(ave to go )(elp )(im.   
CC: BY------------------------E!   
CA: wwait   
CA: dont go   
  
cuttlefishCuller [CC] ceased trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]   
  
CA: glub

Eridan just stared at the screen, throat hot and uncomfortably tight. After all they’ve been through together, it they were over, just like that. She dumped him on his ass, just like that. He hadn’t been simply over dramatizing it, he honestly didn’t know if he’d be able to handle the break up. Feferi was his rock, the only troll who he thought believed in him, the only troll he had been sure would never leave him lonely. He felt tears stinging his eyes, and though he was very much alone, he let his head crash down on his keyboard so the purple tears streaking down his face were completely concealed. Rejection had been bad enough, but the loss of a moiralegience?  He felt sick to his stomach.

Though it would solve nothing, Eridan still felt the need to repeatedly thump himself in the head, as if killing of more brain cells would somehow bring Feferi back to him. But it mostly just put the nail in the coffin, he was pitiful. “I don’t wwanna livve anymore,” He mumbled, sniffling pathetically. When he finally did lift his head up twenty minutes later, he felt like the scum of Alternia, but he knew he couldn’t just lie around and mope, he still had a purpose, if just one. He had a responsibility he couldn’t just ignore.

Feferi’s lusus still needed to be fed.

Giving a tired sneer, he pushed himself up, kicking his swivel chair over as the heart break turned into a bitter anger. “I’ll hunt for that fuckin monster,” He grumbled, snatching up the saddle and Ahb’s Crosshairs before storming out the door. “I’ll hunt so wwell she’ll beg me to flush for her.”

So still seething, Eridan chucked the apple into the sea, earning a sad, confused sort of look from his custodian. “Wwhat?” He demanded. “I got you your fuckin apple, stop lookin at me like that!”

Neptune bit the apple by the stem, swimming towards the shore and setting it carefully at his trolls feet. He knew Eridan better than anyone, and he could tell something was very, very wrong. The seahorse snorted softly, nudging the apple closer in an attempt to cheer the teen up. “You eat it,” He seemed to say. “You need it more than me.”

Eridan sighed, kneeling down with a toss of his cape. “Just take it,” He said, holding out the treat in a much gentler manner. Neptune had raised him with manners, after all. “I don’t wwant it.”

Honestly, his stomach hurt. It was a direct result of the situation with the young princess, unlike normal trolls, Eridan’s emotions always managed to affect his physical state. He could never eat when he was upset, but Neptune had no such restraints. The creature ate the entire thing whole. Eridan mounted his softly whinnying steed, powering up his gun and holding it at the ready, letting the lusus beneath him tear through the waves at top speed. His speeds beat even those Feferi reached. Though she swam much faster than Eridan on account of actually living under the water, Eridan did spend much more time in it than she knew. He did it in secret, spending the time in the one place that was only his.

He almost dismounted right then, his desire to visit this place tugging at his crippled heart. But no, he had work to do. He couldn’t just leave, as much as he craved it. He’d have to find another way to express the emotions that threatened to ruin him there and then.

That was the day that Eridan Ampora filled the ocean with blood.

His energy never faltered, he shot down every flash of white he saw, and soon, there were too many corpses for Feferi to collect on her own. Body after body splashed into the sea.  Eridan even steered Neptune beneath the surface, targeting creatures who had thought themselves safe. And though the teen never seemed to tire, his loyal custodian began to wheeze and shake, gradually slowing to a stop until finally, drifting exhausted to the sea floor.

Lusi had been dropping like flies all morning and well into the afternoon, the ocean was clouded with the many colors of their blood. But this, his own loyal guardian sinking down as well? His whole frame shook with worry. He took a deep breath through his gills, swimming down to kneel beside the shuddering creature just as a pain screech escaped his muzzle. The sound tore at Eridan’s stomach. “N-Neptune,” He choked, casting his weapon aside and pulling his custodians head into his lap. “Neptune please be okay, givve my hand a lick if you’re okay, please…”

With a sad, defeated whine, Neptune turned his head away from the outstretched hand, instead nuzzling the troll’s stomach in a last attempt to comfort him. “God no don’t do this,” Eridan pleaded, hugging his lusus tight. “Please don’t leavve me, I need you Nep, please…”

It was too late, he knew it, Neptune wasn’t breathing, his custodian was gone. But he couldn’t just let go, he wouldn’t just leave him.  Tears bubbled up from his eyes, forming flawless purple spheres before melting into the salt water around him. He clutched the body close to his chest, begging him to do something, anything at all; it didn’t matter as long as the beloved creature came back to him. “Eridan, he’s GONE,” Shouted a voice from above him. The voice was nauseatingly familiar, tearing at his spirit even more until he just wanted to die. “Let him be, there’s nothing you can do for him now!”

“Fef don’t you EVVEN touch him!” Eridan cried, tightening his grip. “If you lay one fuckin claww on my lusus so help me… G-god…” His throat constricted. He would never let her have his lusus, no, it was bad enough Neptune was dead, Eridan refused to let him become monster food. He would jump into the things jaws himself before he let that happen.

“I'm not going to touch him, grumpy gills!” She huffed, he hands on her hips. “Enough lusi have died already, you’ve been killing left and right all day!”

Eridan felt as if ice had frozen solid over his heart. “Are you suggestin that I wwoudl kill _my own custodian?_ ”

“No, Eridan! I would ne-“

“Because I REALLY fuckin hope you aren't stupid enough to be implyin somethin like that!”

“Now don’t you dare try and-“

“Shut up, god dammit just shut up!” He cried, burying his face into Neptune’s lifeless body. “Y-you make me fuckin sick, just leave us alone!”

“Eridan, I-“

“Just go awway!”

And finally, she did.


	2. 2

The smell of antiseptic and gore filled Eridan’s nose. He had found himself at the end of a dark hall in some sort of creepy laboratory, and as he stood at the mouth of the corridor, he noticed a rich white light glowing all the way on the other end. Between where he stood and this intriguing target, Eridan could see a thing, and by the stench that filled his nose and the churning it caused his stomach, he realized he might be better off without clear vision. A strong sense of unease settled in his stomach, and he moved forward, the sound of his echoing footsteps the only thing to break the eerie silence.

It didn’t take long for the troll to completely lose track of everything, even time. His movements were robotic, take one step, then another, one more, and take another step. For hours, or so it seemed, this continued. It was a steady beat the didn’t seem eager to change, but eventually, when the tap of his shoe was replaced with a sickening squish, they rhythm was shattered. Eridan froze, feeling a thick, wet heat surrounding his foot and smelling the foul odor of rotting flesh. Sudden humidity caused him to break out into a sweat, the sticky beads of perspiration rolling down the back of his neck and disappearing under his scarf. Though every fiber of his being told him not to, he forced his head down, eyes wide open as he stared through the darkness. He immediately wished he hadn’t and with a blood curdling scream he attempted to yank his foot free, but it just wouldn’t budge.

Lying on the ground was a troll, her limbs were bent at strange, unnatural angles and her eyes, completely white, stared blankly forward. She looked young, no more than seven sweeps old, but still she lay dead in a pool of buttery yellow blood that was seeping from the gaping hole in her chest. It looked as if some fierce creature had come along to take a bite out of her. It was this hole, Eridan realized, that he had stuck his foot into.

He desperately stumbled backwards until finally wrenching his foot away, back smacking into the wall as he clutched his pounding heart. The highblood’s stomach churned, hot bile rising in his throat as he stared on in horror, franticly trying to shake the blood from his foot, but his pants were soaked to mid calf. _Keep going,_ He told himself. _Just keep moving._

Though he couldn’t bring himself to stop, continuing on proved to be the worst plan. The rhythm established earlier had vanished, every few steps he would come across another corpse, one after another, all half hidden in the darkness. Each was more gruesome than the last. His heart beat faster and faster to the point where he was sure it would burst from his chest, leaving his body to fall among the carnage around him. But nearly parallel with his heart and his mind, were his legs. After seeing countless bodies, Eridan had burst into a full sprint, moving so fast through the gore millions of colors blurred together in his peripherals. But Eridan wasn’t build for speed on land, he was clumsy, constantly slipping and stumbling and on occasion falling face first into yet another pool of blood. He tried to jump right back up, but this time, something held him, a small, clawed hand coated in pale lavender blood. This troll was still alive.

He was so small, with short little Y shaped horns and couldn’t have been more than three sweeps old. Despite his obvious youth, he too had been brutally maimed. “P-p-please,” He begged, tears pouring down his face as he clung to Eridan. “Don’t l-leave me, I… I lost my custodian, please, help me… help…” Before he could finish, he leaned over and started coughing violently, filling the lab with a wet gurgling sound. The child was choking on his own blood.

“Sh-Shhh,” Eridan tried to sooth him, taking his scarf and with shaking hands, wrapping it around the poor things neck in an attempt to slow the bleeding and cover his gills as they struggled to breath the dry, stale air. “H-here, sit up, I wwont leave you…” He did everything he could. The teen pulled the kid into his arms, holding him tight and angling his head down so instead of choking, he could spit the blood out, allowing him to at least breath without agony. For a long time they sat together, and for a moment, they were sure that the worst was over, but suddenly as if slashed by an invisible sword, a long, jagged gash simply appeared across the child’s chest, splattering Eridan with blood before he could so much as close his eyes. He didn’t even have time to cry out; he died there in Eridan’s arms.

Feeling sick, Eridan carefully untangled himself from the tiny corpse; laying the body on its back and tucking it win with his cape. With most of the gore covered by the violet silk, the lavender blood might have been sleeping if it weren’t for the look of agony on his face and the bloodbath around him. Eridan closed the body’s eyes and stood up on shaky limbs. There was so much blood, it was everywhere, and he was stained head to toe with just about every color of the rainbow. Even his glasses were splattered, he could barely see out of them.

After cleaning them off with the edge of his shirt, Eridan gasped, eyes widening. He had been so troubled he hadn’t even noticed the giant door that stood before him. He swallowed. It was giving off the very same white light that he had been pursuing this whole time. Suddenly, he wish he would have simply staid put, curled up in a corner and just waited for death to find him as well. He wanted nothing to do with the malicious energy emanating from that bright white, blood stained door. But despite his fear and the writhing and twisting of his stomach, he reached out. The door creaked open before he could even touch.

That was the moment Eridan Ampora met his first angel.

She was a beautiful little girl, short, thin, her face still round with baby fat, but instead of being adorned in white like her glowing aura and the room around her, she was entirely black with a long, genie like tail where he legs should have been. Scattered all across the floor beneath her were the fuzzy remains of white, plush lusi. They were each broken in a similar manner, colored stuffing spewing out of round holes through their middles. They reminded Eridan a lot of what the lusi he hunted looked like after a run in with Ahb’s Crosshairs. The thought made him gulp, thinking back to the little tiny seadweller who had been wailing, pleading for his lost custodian. Eridan was beginning to believe that the creature might have been a little more than lost. “They all used to be mine, you know,” She informed Eridan, calmly picking something apart in her tiny little hands. “The toys, I mean. All those lusi used to be mine to break, but you broke them instead. Almost all of them, you shot with your scary gun.”

“N-not your toys,” Eridan insisted, going pale. “Real lusi, I wwould n-nevver…”

She stood and walked, or rather hovered to the other side of the room where dozens of strange contraptions were set up. “They were real to me,” She said numbly, tinkering with whatever was in her hands, working it into one of these machines. “So then, I had to get new toys… Trolls, but they were so much fun I used them all up real fast… Except for one.”

When she glided back to her original spot, Eridan saw what she had been playing with. The doll looked Exactly like Eridan did in that moment, and was currently being suspended in the air by metal cords attached to its wrists and ankles. The angle pushed down on a lever and the doll was tugged from both directions, held taut by the restraints. The seadweller himself felt as if his spin was being stretched. “Oh no,” He breathed, all color draining from his face as his eyes filled with terror. After picking up what looked to be another toy, the little girl gave a sadistic grin and the sound of a chainsaw revving to life filled the seadweller’s ears.  “No, no don’t!”

“ _You’re_ my toy now, Mr. Grumpy Gills!”

The second the slashing teeth of the miniature tool reached the fabric of the doll, pure violet blood gushed from Eridan's middle like a waterfall until finally he was cut all the way through, his torso landing with a sick thud onto the bloody white floors.

……………….

When he hit the ground, he woke with a piercing scream, hands frantically searching his sweat soaked body to make sure it was still in one piece. He couldn’t get the image out of his head, such a helpless little doll being sawed in half, all of that blood gushing from his own veins… Nothing though, not even a drop of blood was to be found on him now. Even so, the terror took some time to fade. But after nearly an hour of trembling and horrible images, Eridan finally decided that he was safe, and it was time to get to his feet and assess his situation. He had fallen off the couch. It was getting old, he should have known, it was the fourth time that week alone, and every time was worse than the last. All of his dreams were vile, sick, abominations of the mind, but not one had ever felt so real. And every morning since the day he lost it all, he longed for the loyal protection of his custodian.

Without that constant bubble of warmth and safety, it was nearly impossible to get a peaceful night’s sleep. He was exhausted. Eridan fumbled for his glasses, and when his vision cleared, he groaned out loud. His hive was STILL a mess. Of course, in the eyes of a lesser blood it would be seen as minor clutter, but to a royal, it was horrendous. It was a stupid thing to worry about now, but he honestly had nothing better to occupy his mind. He was irritable and grouchy, still shaken from his dream, but the worst part of it all was the crippling loneliness he felt. He was constantly aching with the need for some sort of interaction with someone, anyone who would tolerate him if for just a while. But no one would answer his messages. It broke his heart in so many ways, but for the first time in weeks, Eridan made an honest attempt to go on with his life. He cleaned his hive spotless, he studied his history books for hours, and he cooked feasts in his huge kitchen, none of which he ever ate. It was a shame, the food was actually very well prepared, but every time he considered taking even a little nibble, his stomach would churn with protest and he’d dump it into the sea.

This sort of living was casing Eridan to drop weight alarmingly fast. He was as thin as a rail, all the muscle from swimming and hunting gone from his body. He survived on coffee and crackers, the only things he could stomach. On top of that, the only sleep he managed to get was plagued with nightmares of blood thirsty angels and the blood of dead custodians on his hands. One night, it was so bad he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes again. He dint want to sink back into that awful darkness, he couldn’t handle being chain sawed in half every night. So instead of curling up on the couch to wait for morning, Eridan put on a pair of sun resistant glasses and stumbled outside into the warm water. Once in the safety of the sea, Eridan swapped the shades for his hipster frames and swam out to the only comfort he could think to seek, his secret grotto.

As always, the underwater cave was filled with instruments. Harps, pianos, guitars and flutes all scattered about, just about anything that could make music could be found among them. All throughout his childhood he learned to play every single one, it had been his out let, a healthier way for him to express himself, but then… then even that had been taken away from him.

Sitting at his harp, _his_ _favorite harp_ was Feferi, looking entranced and naturally, beautiful as she plucked at each carefully tuned string. She tried for a cord but of course, training to be empress left her no real time to learn. Eridan had always wanted to teach her, but on his own terms, this was an invasion of his privacy, this was her taking away the only thing he had left. Feeling hurt and betrayed, he swam back to the surface, shielding his eyes from the sun as he dashed back inside, dripping wet. Hot tears were streaming down his face, mixing with the excess salt water before falling to the floor like rain. What did he have to live for now? Everything he had ever cared for had already been ripped away.

_“They might as well take your blood at this point.”_

Eridan whipped his head around. He hadn’t heard another voice in over a month, but this voice… it was low, cold and snarling like the sound of rocks being ground together. It wasn’t anything he had ever heart before and he didn’t trust it, but he clung to it, desperate. “Ww-wwhere are you?”

 _“I'm… around”_ He said evasively, tone clipped and stiff. “ _be glad I'm talking to you, I have better things to do than counsel your pathetic ass.”_

The troll curled up in the corner where he sat, salt water pooling at his feet. “I knoww.” It didn’t matter who it was, anyone would have better things to do.

_“They think you’re weak, they think you’re scared, don’t you want to show them you’re tough?”_

“Wwell-“

 _“You’ve killed so many innocent creatures, but there’s not a scratch on you, what do you think that says about your morals?”_ There was a pause, and when Eridan didn’t answer a growl shook him to his very core, causing him to whimper. _“It says you’re a prick, that’s what!”_ The voice snapped. _“You’ve spilled blood left and right to feed that loud ass monster but you one spare a drop of your own, not one.”_

Eridan swallowed. “You wwant my blood?”

_“I want to make you stronger.”_

And then, as if it had always been there, a dagger appeared in Eridan's fist. He watched, horrified as his left arm extended on its own, his right bringing the knife down to the little hollow in his wrist where a thick, purple vein was pulsing. The troll cried out in pain as the blade sliced through his skin. One cut after the other, covering his forearms in deep slash marks. The voice cackled in his head. _“Endure it, princess!”_ It roared, clearly quite amused. _“Take it like a good bitch!”_

Eventually, the knife clattered to the floor. Eridan trembled, staring at his reflection in the blades bloodies surface. He was still soaked; he was pale, honestly he was nothing but skin and bones. His wrists, both of them now, oozed the richest of purples with ever beat of his heart. It wasn’t until small puddles began to form that Eridan moved, wrapping his scarf around the wounds just to keep from bleeding out on his way to get real bandages. As he crawled, too dizzy to walk, he noticed that the voice had gone silent. The blood and the searing pain proved that it had been no dream, and yet, the deep growl had faded at some point during his self mauling, just before Eridan regained control of his limbs.

Losing possession of his own body was where the highblood drew the line.

The voice had come with a point to make. Eridan had thought everything had been taken, and then, he lost more. His mind, his blood, and even his free will had been taken away too. And so now that there was nothing left to lose, Eridan felt ready for revenge, ready to take on something greater, something stronger.

Eridan entered the game.


	3. 3

The land of wrath and angels was at first, a shockingly beautiful place. There were gothic cathedrals up to seven stories high, looking as if they had been brought straight from one of his history books. The sound of singing filled the air. The noise was bittersweet to Eridan's ears, but it gave him the first comfort he’d felt in a very long time. That awful voice was silent, his stomach felt alright, and for a moment, Eridan thought he might be able to lower his defenses. But then he saw her.

“No,” He choked, eyes going wide with fright. “No, not you, oh god…”

He scrambled for his gun as she got closer, blasting at her straight away. But to his surprise and horror, she remained suspended in the air. Frantic, he shifted his weapon to its deadliest setting and aimed again, squeezing the trigger without a break for a full minute before finally, the angel dropped to the ground. Shaking so bad his teeth chattered, Eridan scuttled away from the carcass as fast as he could, needing to distance himself from the horrendous beauty. Even in death the creature was stunning, form blacker than midnight and still glowing with that sharply contrasting white. Though she held no weapons, no dolls, and hadn’t done a single thing to threaten the troll, he couldn’t shake the dread. Those dreams were just too daunting to brush aside. Those angels were trouble, they had to be.

Eridan scooped up Ahb’s Crosshairs and ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding violently in his chest. He had to get away, far away, and take cover. They were everywhere, those angels were seeking him out he just knew it, but what was it they wanted with him? Why wouldn’t they just leave him alone? His time in LOWAA was the most traumatizing segment of his life so far. The seadweller was killing left and right, not hunting, but defending himself to the point of exhaustion. But they angels simply wouldn’t stop coming. Once he held aim for four whole minutes before the particularly strong angel finally dropped. And though he begged for someone, anyone to come and help him survive, he was left vulnerable and petrified, his weapon nearly useless. At some point he finally decided that hiding in one of the larger cathedrals would be smart. It might keep him safe at least long enough to get a little rest. He was so worn out, surely he’d be blessed with a dreamless sleep just this once. So when he entered the church he did a quick scan of his surroundings, pointing his gun at every shadow though his arms trembled to badly to keep a steady aim. He wouldn’t have been able to hold constant fire for ten seconds let alone an entire minute or longer. With a sigh of defeat, Eridan laid the gun on the ground, curled up on his side and wrapped his cape around himself like a blanket. When he was at last able to close his eyes, he felt the warm blackness of sleep tugging him in, disturbed only by a soft, clear and beautifully high pitched note echoing through the towers.

It was sang sweetly and slow like a lullaby, more and more voices blending together a peaceful melody that was just off enough to hint at a more haunting theme. The angels had found him. He fumbled with his gun, shooting the closest one, but as the beam tore at its target another closed in. “No,” Eridan whimpered, switching his aim to the fresh threat, then another, and another. They were all to strong though. At one minute a piece, he couldn’t get them all, it was impossible. And then, with a scream that could have stirred the dead, Eridan was overwhelmed.


	4. Chapter 4

Unlike the others in the session, Eridan never made it to the end of his planet. At least not on his own. The angels had overtaken him, and he wasn’t exactly sure what went down, but all he knew was that after those gruesome creatures had surrounded him, he had fainted. When he woke, he was in a position very similar to the one he blacked out in, curled up and wrapped in his cape, shivering through the cold. He wished the damn thing was thicker. He didn’t even care that somehow, he had been moved into this unfamiliar room. He just wanted to stop existing, he was tired and at this point death sounded like a pleasurable experience.  
As if summoned by these dark thoughts, a knife appeared in his hands, the same one he had used to spill his own blood back on Alternia. Eridan gulped, remembering that awful sensation of not being in control, a puppet to some unseen force. But then he recalled the strength, the determination and that blissful night of dreamless sleep that followed. His hands shook, tears forming in his eyes. No, cutting was pointless! It wouldn’t get him attention, and it wouldn’t solve anything. But when he felt that wicked tingle in his arm he quickly pressed the blade against his vein, letting the blood trickle down himself before he could be taken over again.  
Eridan let the blood seep from the wounds until he was seeing stars dancing across his vision. Then, he crawled over to the chest in the corner of the room, tearing a towel from inside into strips to bandage his mangled wrists. After that he allowed himself to sink into nothingness. When he finally woke after what felt like days, he felt… Rested, something that was no longer the norm. So he decided to pull on his computerized glasses and log onto trollian. He learned by reading some of Karkat’s memos that a large number of the other trolls had been contacting some sort of alien race, making friends, making trouble, or just spying on them in some way. He supposed it could be amusing if nothing else, and it wasn’t like he had anything better to do with his time. This became Eridan's routine. Cut until he fainted each night, get solid rest, and wake up to his computer, proceeding to irritate humans. In this time, the highblood ate only what was crucial to surviving, but getting sleep at night did make a difference, even at the heft cost of bodily harm.  
One morning though, he woke extremely aggravated. Even with his new strategy, Eridan had received another chilling nightmare. This one hadn’t been about angels, or death, it had been about his past. It dug up old memories that cut him deeper than any knife ever could. In his childhood, happy things, like magic, had been a large part of his life. Now, he insisted it was all fake. It had failed him so many times. So it was with a foul attitude that Eridan logged onto trollian that day. As if to give him an emotional slap in the face, waiting to greet him was a live feed of one of the female aliens flitting about with a pair of black wands. He growled in irritation. He had discussed the matter with that one before, what was it with the humans and being so thick skulled and stubborn?  
caligulasAquarium [CA] began trolling tentacleTherapist [TT]  
  
CA: wwho are you tryin to convvince wwith this ludicrous poppycock   
TT: ?   
CA: magic is NOT REAL   
CA: wwhatevver youre doin its not real its somethin else outright entirely   
CA: its fancy and impressivve and all but its not the fuckin figmental storybook claptrap you wwanna make out like it is   
CA: so howw about you get off your high skyhorse   
TT: Why do you keep addressing me as if I'm some sort of spokesperson for the reality of magic?   
TT: You can't needle me into a defensive posture on the subject. I just don't care.   
CA: youre not usin magic just DEAL WW IT   
TT: Fine. You win.   
TT: These are science wands. I am a charlatan.   
CA: ok i didnt say that   
CA: so fuckin smug   
CA: maybe if I can give you a few lesions in manners you could teach me how to bulshit magic like that in return   
TT: You want to learn magic?   
CA: yes teach me your secrets wwitch   
TT: Sure. Let's begin.   
TT: Consider this your first lesson in showmanship.  
caligulasAquarium's [CA'S] computer exploded.  
“Jesus, fuck!” He cried, chucking the sparking glasses at the wall just before they could burst into flames. “God damn she villain!”  
“Did you expect some sort of freaking matespritship?”  
Eridan's heart nearly stopped. “You,” He whispered, pushing himself back against the wall. “I thought you were gone.”  
“I’ve been… Busy,” He said, a new sort of bite to his tone. “So I'm not in the mood to tolerate your bitchy problems, or the fact that you have nothing better to do than piss off some prissy human.”  
“But it-“  
“I don’t give a shit!” He barked. “Now shut up, someone’s coming.”  
Before Eridan could say another word there was a sharp rapping on his door, followed by Kanaya, who entered with both hands behind her back. The seadweller swallowed, it had been a long time since he’d seen another troll.  
As expected, she hadn’t come for a pleasant chat. She had come to talk about that rose human and her stupid magic tricks. That fake, computer destroying magic. He couldn’t afford to hear about that then, he was falling apart as it was, but the jade blood kept on talking, digging up the memories that he just could bare to face.  
But he had no choice; Kanaya was forcing him to remember.  
Now Eridan hadn’t always been so touchy on the subject of magic, in fact, as a little kid he was quite fascinated in it. Back then, Eridan spent almost all of his time in a beautiful, deep sea reef. Coral grew in all colors; aquatic lusi swam about in every shape and size. Music was always playing, nonstop, music was the heart of all life under the waves. The reef was a very special place to anyone with fins, not just Eridan, because the entire area just happened to be the young Princesses front yard. Through this oceanic lawn, an eager violet blood was swimming at top speeds, a long purple cape billowing in his wake. He was happy, always smiling back then even if it was more of a smirk. He was only four sweeps old, and his morail lived in a big, pretty castle, not unlike the ones they built in the sand. When he neared his destination, he could see her hand waving enthusiastically, wrists adorned in bangles of shimmering gold. He felt a tickle in his gills and a fluttering in his heart. Seeing her was what he lived for. He slowed to a stop, panting as he drifted to her side. “Salutations, Princess,” He greeted her breathlessly, sweeping into a bow so low his glasses slipped down his nose, too big for his face.  
She giggled, combing through the mane of black curls with her fingers before dipping into a flawless curtsy in return. “Why, hello there, Sir Eridan!”  
The young noble blushed and took her hand, letting their fingers intertwine. Feferi ran her thumb over his rings, batting her eyelashes at him. He swallowed hard, feeling his fins get all warm, and before he could gather his wits, Feferi was torpedoing forward, pulling Eridan along. Moraliagence was sweet; they knew everything about each other. For Eridan, that wasn’t too big of a deal, he had a pretty bad habit of running his mouth too much and was pretty much an open book to anyone on land or in the sea. Under the waves, everyone knew him as an outstanding child prodigy, his musical talents the center of attention, just as he liked it. But only Feferi knew him as the captivating wizard he really was. “Do it again,” She begged him, gaze trained on his. Her eyes were just so huge, filled with admiration and wonder that he just couldn’t let down. Chuckling, he closed his eyes and lifted his hands, stirring them through the water, creating a stunning wall of color that sparkled and swirled around her. “It’s so pretty,” She gushed.  
“You’re pretty too, Fef,” He whispered bashfully.  
She leaned in closer through the fog of color, her round eyes glittering. “I know,” She teased. “I'm a princess, I get that all the time. Try again.”  
“You’re a piece of wwork,” He giggled. “Wwhat if… I show you a very special trick, one just for you, no one else.”  
“No one else?”  
“Not one other.”  
She leaned even closer. “Promise?”  
“I promise,” He said, scooting closer and lowering his voice. “This magic trick wwill make you more than just a princess… It’ll make ya the vvery best you can be.”  
He knew her very well; she’d do anything to escape the boundaries being a princess held over her. “Do it!” She whispered.  
The violet blood smiled, pulling her in and pressing his lips gently against hers in the sweetest kiss he could manage.  
The magic was supposed to make Feferi’s heart all his, forever, and for the moment it seemed to work. The same white light that had surrounded his fingers while he created the rainbows was now swirling around the two trolls. When the boy finally pulled away, his princess flushed pink. They both giggled.  
  
Not bad for a first kiss, but Eridan felt a vicious pang in his heart at the memory. The trick he had performed so many years ago, failed. Feferi clearly didn’t love him anymore; he had realized it sweeps ago, even before they broke up. But he couldn’t help grasping at straws, fighting to keep her in his corner, but he supposed she had no interest in someone who couldn’t do something impossible, leaving him all alone. “Magic is fuckin fake,” He cried. “Wwhy wwont you understand, its gonna do nothin but hurt!”  
“Well you have happened upon a bit of luck my friend,” Kanaya said calmly. From behind her back, she pulled out a sleek, elegant, white wand crafted in the shape of a lightning bolt. When he was a kid, he had always wanted one just like it. He swallowed hard and she continued. “This is not magic, think of it a science wand if you must. And I am sure you will accept it without retaliations on me or any innocent alien females, correct?”  
Eridan's arm reached out on its own, grasping the wand and tugging sharply. His eyes stung. “Wwhatevver Kan,” He said through his teeth. “I’ll… I’ll leavve her alone.”  
Before the seadweller regained control of his arm, he felt his sleeve slip just enough to reveal the heavy, bloodstained bandages covering his wrists. She gasped, and he recoiled, hiding the arm inside his cape with tears of shame pouring down his cheeks. For a moment, there was genuine concern in the jade blood’s eyes. Eridan looked up, pleading at her with his eyes. That voice had him by the throat and he couldn’t speak, but he was desperate. He knew Kanaya had a life, her own troubles to deal with, but maybe she would be able to save him. And maybe, with a bit of luck, she’d stay with him, if for just a little while.  
But no, the moment ended as fast as it had come. Kanaya left him alone with his wand, his heart ache, and the darkness creeping through his mind without as much as a smile.  
He hung his head, squeezing the wand tightly in his fist. He could feel his own power amplified by the weapon, but he told himself it was all fake. Deep down he knew that when it mattered, the childish spells would fail him.  
“Get up,” The beast snapped. “pull yourself together, she doesn’t give a shit of you’re desperate, get up.”  
“Wwhy?” He mumbled pathetically. “Wwhat’s the point?”  
“I'm going to teach you to fight.”  
“Fight wwho?” He asked, gripping the thin fabric of his cape. There was only one villain he could think of at that point in the game. “I'm not strong enough to face-“  
“Face who, Jack?” He guessed, giving a harsh chortle. “Now why would I train you to fight ME?”  
Eridan stuttered helplessly while the dark figure came into view. Part dog, part bird, part harlequin member of the midnight crew, Jack stood before the trembling seadweller and drew the bloody sword from his middle, stance that of a fighter ready to strike. “Get up,” He barked.  
The troll scrambled to his feet, pressing back against his wall with his wand held at the ready. He hadn’t even thought to draw it; the tool was like an extension of his arm, like it was made for him. “Wwhat do you wwant wwith me?”  
“I want to make you stronger,” He rumbled, voice lowered to an evil purr as he paced the length of the room. “I want to make you into a hero straight from those books you salivate over. Isn’t that what you want, to make your enemies pay?”  
“My enemies? I don’t really have-“  
“What about all the landwellers, or that pissblood that stole your girlfriend? We could torture them all until they beg us to kill them!”  
“But I really don’t-“  
“And what about all those people who left you to crumble? You know that Virgo noticed your scars, you saw she didn’t give a shit!” When Eridan paused, the beast smirked, adjusting his grip on the shaft of his sword and raising it high, aim locked on the troll’s neck. One stab would kill. “You deserve better, you are better, don’t tell me you’ve lost your will to live.”  
Another pause, and jack growled with frustration. “A damn shame, bit if you want to die…” He swung, blade cutting through the short distance in less than a second, but for Eridan, everything went incredibly slowly. He was going to let jack take him, he was going to give in. He had lost the will to live a long time ago, his life didn’t matter anymore. But then he thought about all of the others, even the landwellers. Most had never been to kind to him, and they never thought to lend him a hand, but Eridan just couldn’t let them all die. Not like that, not by Jack’s hand. So, with his wand already positioned to fire, Eridan released a rush of energy straight from his soul. His aura pulsed white and strong all around him, until finally, he forced it through the tip of the wand, shooting Jack’s sword right out of his hand. The monster smirked, watching as the troll struggled into a fighting stance, breathing hard and heavy. “Not bad princess,” He chuckled. “But now it’s time to get real.”


	5. Chapter 5

From then on, Jack worked Eridan to the bone. Each day they fought wand to sword until the troll was exhausted. At this point he would be taunted, tormented and even threatened until finally, in a fit of rage, he would explode with power, knocking the wind out of the monster with a single blast. It was impressive, and when the demon was finally pleased, he would allow Eridan to rest. He fell asleep easily, staying asleep for sometimes days at of time. He was nearly impossible to wake, but his dreams hadn’t improved, they had only gotten more personal. There were no more angles or nameless victims of voodoo haunting his nights. Instead he saw himself at Jack’s side, slaughtering people left and right. Some of them were strangers and some, unfortunately, were frighteningly familiar. More than once he would wake trembling, unable to look at his hands. Every time he tried he would find them grossly distorted and dripping with the beautiful shade of pink he could only associate with one person.  
One particular day was worse than any other, Jack began throwing abuse Eridan's way from the moment he woke up, using not only his broken sword but his powers as well to keep Eridan from advancing. Each time the troll managed to defend himself, he would be hit with something ten times worse, making it impossible to get a hit in anywhere. Jack was just too strong. He claimed to be holding back, but Eridan never dared questioned it. Though he was feeling the weight of this beat down, jack seemed surprised that Eridan’s strength held. Eventually though he couldn’t take it anymore. He caught a lucky shot and blasted Jack’s sword right out of his hand, throwing him off long enough for Eridan to hold up a trembling hand, begging him for a chance to rest. “Wwait,” He panted, leaning on the wall. He was desperate to catch his breath, but the dry meteor air didn’t mix well with his gills, or his under developed lungs. Normally, Eridan would use both his lungs and his gills to absorb oxygen, but that only worked in humid air. Under his current conditions, taking off his scarf would have physically pained the sensitive gills, making it nearly impossible to breath. Feferi could simply close the little flaps, using just her strong lungs like a land dweller, but like with so many other things, the violet blood was very different from other trolls. “Just… Just hold on.”  
Jack growled, retrieving his sword and ruffling up his wings, clearly irritated. “What is the fucking problem?” He wanted to know. “You were actually doing something right for once.”  
He grunted in response, shuffling over to a chest in the corner of the room for a drink. The big surprise was naturally, another bottle of sugary red Faygo. Shouting in his frustration, he drop kicked the beverage and turned on his heel, not even bothering to watch it explode against the wall. “Wwhat do I havve to do to get a drink of god damn wwater in this shitty place?”  
“Why don’t you calm your prissy little-“  
“I'm fuckin’ THIRSTY!” He snapped. “I don’t know if you’vve noticed, but I’vve got gills, dammit! Gills! I need wwater, or I am goin to die!”  
Jack stepped forward and punched Eridan in the gut, winding him and knocking him to his knees. “News flash princess, I don’t give a shit,” He snarled. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but I don’t need a whiny little diva in my army. Either get your panties out of their wad, or cut a little deeper and stop wasting my time.”  
“Wwell exuse me for not wwantin my entire race tortured to death!” He finally blurted, trembling. Images of unimaginable things happening to Feferi were flashing through his mind, making him feel sick to his very core. “I’m not all for murderin’ the innocent,” He choked.  
“Oh, aren’t you?” Jack challenged. “What about all those harmless lusi? They weren’t bothering anyone, or do they not count? I’m pretty sure they do, you were quite a wreck when you lost that flamboyant pony of yours.”  
With a burst of fury Eridan shoved jack against the wall, wand jabbing at his throat and glowing with energy. “Don’t you evver talk about my custodian like that again,” He rumbled. “Not evver, not evven a breath of his name out of your dirty fuckin’ maww, got it?”  
The two stared each other down, eyes cold and murderous until jack finally pushed Eridan out of his way. “Fine,” He growled, brushing imaginary dust off of his shoulders. “If you’re going to throw a tantrum about it, I’ll make you a deal. Get your little friends to join our army and I’ll let them live, but if they refuse, they are MINE, and you know what that means, don’t you?  
Seeing no other way to save her, Eridan nodded his agreement.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourself, this one will hit you hard in the feels. Just sayin.

Waking up that morning was unusually pleasant. His dreams had been blissful in their absence, all he felt was an endless darkness. Not exactly cheerful, but a refreshing break from reality would never be unwelcome. Even when he opened his eyes his mood brightened, a large bottle of chilled spring water filling his field of vision, droplets of condensation glittering in the moonlight. He shot upright, shoving his glasses over his eyes and eagerly unscrewed the lid. Gulping it down desperately, he felt icy relief washing down his throat, causing his fins to flutter with joy. Eridan dipped his fingers into the last bit, using the cool moisture to wet his gills from under his scarf. He took a deep breath through the little flaps, letting out a contented sigh.  
“Enjoying yourself, princess?”  
The seadweller jumped, nearly spilling the last precious drops all over himself. He clutched the bottle to his chest like it was the holy grail, holding his last chances at life. “I… I really needed ww-wwater,” He mumbled, swallowing hard. Leave it to Jack to ruin his one fleeting moment of comfort.  
“That’s pathetic,” The monster snapped. “You look like a girly fucking mermaid, wiggling your fins like a retard. And yet, I bring you more. Want to know why?”  
Eridan caught the second bottle with both hands, holding the other between his knees. His throat ached for a sip, but he didn’t dare, not in front of his violent trainer. Letting his guard down in any way resulted in injuries more often than not, some of which he was still recovering from. So instead he humored the question, though he wasn’t sure he liked where he was headed. “Wwhy?”  
“Because today is the day you use what I’ve taught you.”  
And there was the catch. Jack was never just nice. No one was ever just nice to Eridan anymore. In fact, the only troll who had ever shown Eridan selfless kindness had probably grown to hate him, and yet, he was risking everything to save her. He was scared and his pulse was pounding, but after a barking order was issued, he finally left his hiding spot, savoring his water in an attempt to calm his stomach. He was filled with a nervous energy, making him shake with every movement he forced. The thoughts of what could go wrong were beyond unsettling, but still he moved forward, knowing that no matter how badly he messed up, leaving everything to Jack would have been much, much worse.  
When he finally made it to the lab, a room with computers lining every wall and trolls scattered about with their belongings, he stood behind a large pile of horns, no doubt gathered by Gamzee, the troll just under him on the hemospectrum. Though he was relatively secluded, there were a few people who came to speak with him. The day before, Eridan would have done anything for some sort of positive interaction with his peers. They were judgmental, didn’t understand him, and never even tried to help, but he missed them terribly. Now that he had them near, he realized the hope had been a false one. Every conversation he had just pushed him closer and closer to his limit, darkening his mood until the slightest glance in his direction would send him into an emotional fit. It wasn’t until Feferi showed up, quite clearly flirting with Sollux, that he remembered his mission. So Feferi had lied to him, she had plenty of room in her heart, just none for him. Jack had been right after all.  
He sneered with loathing as the psionic took Feferi into the horn pile, chatting on with his geeky lisp about his feelings or something. Eridan couldn’t take it, he had to save Feferi from jack, that lowblooded prick, and herself. She didn’t know it yet, but she needed him.  
“Oh GOD it’th’ him,” Sollux groaned when he approached. “FF can you tell him to go away? I don’t even have the energy for thith’.”  
“Hey, finless,” Eridan snapped. “This doesn’t concern those with mustard sludge slippin’ through their vveins. It’s a matter for royalty only, so keep your mouth closed or I’ll slit you open ovver my next meal.”  
“Whatever, th’o not intereth’ted.”  
“Eridan, please,” Feferi interjected. “I don’t want to sea anymore drama!”  
Sollux opened his mouth to speak, and Eridan opened his to cut the other off, but as usual, Fefer was faster than them both. “Don’t you dare try and provoke him,” She scolded her ex. “It’s not like I don’t know what you’re doing, you keep trying to spark a rivalry with him to get me to auspisticize between you two, and pull use out of our quadrant! It’s the oldest and lamest trick in the book, and it won’t work!”  
“That is an astonishin’ accusation,” Eridan huffed, glaring at his feet before looking back up at the other seadweller, his eyes softening to show his genuine intentions, and a touch of the hurt. “how could you say that? All I wwant is to havve a wword wwith you.”  
“Okay Eridan,” She sighed, rubbing a temple with her finger tips. “We can talk, but only if you’re planning on being civil.”  
“You and I are being civil by the vvery vvirtue a’ the fact that wwe’re talking’ noww, but wwe’re royalty you and I. Wwe belong together.” He trailed off, feeling his eyes sting with the threat of tears. “Evven if not in THAT wway which I get you’re not into and all… But wwe belong together as the rulin’ class if nothin’ else, so I'm gonna givve you this one choice.” His voice was slowly edging towards hysteria. He needed Feferi to hear him, he needed her to really listen. “I'm about to go find Jack, and I really need you to come wwith me.”  
Feferi was shocked. “Are you serious? You’ll get yourself KILLED!”  
“Of course I'm serious!” He nearly cried, grabbing her wrists in an attempt to make her understand. “And wwe need to do this together, you’vve got nothin’ to fear noww! I’vve reached a new height of power no one else can dream of!”  
Sollux smirked. “Thith’ ith’ the moth’t hillariouth’ thing I’ve ever heard, he made one of his fake wandth’ glow a little and now he thinkth’ he’th’ a fairy god troll or th’omething.”  
“Wwas that slander I just heard?” Eridan sneered. “I can’t even tell, I tend to block out noise from filth wwhose blood is practically fuckin’ complementary to mine.”  
Feferi ignored their squabbling, looking instead to Eridan who still had a desperate grip on her wrist. She did, for a moment anyway, look worried about him. “Sollux has a point though; you might be really overestimating you abilities! Jack Noir is INSANELY powerful Eridan! I don’t want to see you do anything foolish by trying to fight him.”  
The wave of terror he felt then was great enough to make him shudder. Not wanting Feferi to notice, he dropped her hand. “Fight him?” He finally stammered, a blank, stunned look on his face. He knew how that match would end; he knew it all too well. “Fef that’s fuckin’ nuts, I'm goin to join him.”  
“YOU’RE WHAT?”  
He took her hand again, eyes pleading. Her very life was on the line. “And you’re gonna join me in joinin’ him,” He urged her. “Come on, let’s go!”  
She yanked herself free as if she had been burned.”NO I am NOT! And you aren’t either! That is GLUBBING INSANE!”  
“Wwe havve no chance against him fef, trust me! Wwe’ll all die horrible, awwful deaths! The only thing wwe can do is serve him and hope he spares us.” His whole frame was shaking with a mix of fear, desperation, and fury. He was teetering on the very edge of insanity, he couldn’t take much more stress. “I'm extendin the invvitation to come wwith me because evven though you don’t think so I really do care about you and there are things much, much wworse than dyin’. If wwe join him, wwe’ll be unstoppable!” He stepped in closer, letting what remained of his guard down, exposing ever emotion in his heart to the eyes that knew him well. Digging up their past may have been the only way to get through to her. “Our anemones wwill tremble before us.”  
“NO. you have lost all rights to use fish puns FOREVER. I have revoked your fish punning license as well as our frondship!”  
“Don’t take that tuna vvoice wwith me, princess,” He mumbled, feeling his heart breaking inside him.  
“WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST SAY?” She shrieked, infuriated by his blatant disregard of her order. “That’s it, this makes me sad Eridan but now we have to stop you. You can’t lead jack to the rest of us.”  
Eridan's shaking outwardly stopped. Everything outwardly stopped. But inside, he was fighting a raging battle between heart and hurt. “So that’s howw it is, is it?”  
“Sheth’ right, man,” Sollux yawned, shaking out his lanky limbs. “Can’t belive thith’, I was looking forward to a nap, too.” He cracked his neck, sending a bit of multi colored static out into the air around him.  
Eridan clutched his wand, grinding his teeth together and Sollux smirked. “I should have killed you when I had the chanth’e. Oh well, gueth’ it’th’ only fitting I’d take you down in ROUND TWO!” The small sparks quickly intensified, his psionics crackling and popping with lethal, red and blue energy. “You ready, printh’e?”  
“Bring it, mage.”  
Everything went by very fast after that.  
Sollux was in the air first, aura flashing so rapidly between red and blue it almost appeared purple. Eridan on the other hand, glowed the purest of whites. Together they attacked, ignoring Feferi’s protests until the psionics met the white “sciences” in a collision that shook them both to their bones. The seadweller held his fire, feeling the energy being pulled from his, gathered in a place inside him he thought had gone cold sweeps ago. He thought the power had left him, and yet he was channeling it now, gritting his teeth. He was determined, he had to win, and he had to push himself, for Feferi. It was only for her that he aimed to kill. Being murdered would be much more pleasant then what jack had planned, sparing the Gemini in that way would please her. So, with this in mind, Eridan released the energy that he had been generating, blasting Sollux out of the air, slamming him into the wall. The lowblood crashed into the computers, mustard yellow soaking through his T-shirt.  
Eridan dropped to the ground, fighting to catch his breath. The dry air threatened to choke him, and yet Feferi rushed only to Sollux’s aid. She must have realized nothing could be done, because when her gaze did shit to Eridan, it was murderous.  
He straightened some, giving her a nasty glare. She was angry, actually mad at him for sparing her geeky little Matesprit! Sure, she had no idea why he had to go to such extremes. And sure, Sollux had probably had not enjoyed the blow, but to Eridan, this was like the ultimate slap in the face, it just made him sick. Fine, He thought to himself, lifting his weapon and taking aim. This is the last thing I can do for you.  
The heiress lunged with her trident just as Eridan released his energy through the glowing wand. The white beam cut right through her middle, and with a stunned look, she dropped into the pile of horns with hundreds of noisy honks sounding in her wake.  
Grinding his teeth together, Eridan turned to see Kanaya staring on in horror, her lipstick clutched tightly in one hand. Though it was clear she intended to end him, she made the mistake of glancing at the orb tucked under her arm, their race’s last hope at survival. Grubs, there would be tiny little grubs for jack to torment if that thing was put to use. The thought alone was enough for him to make the rash decision to destroy it. Almost instantly the whirring sound of an engine filled his ears, the sound of the weapon bringing Eridan back to that lab, back with the angel, and back with the dying child of his worst nightmares. Heart pounding and panic rising in his throat, he attacked, blasting her through the middle as well. Even as she fell to the floor dead, the revving of the chainsaw echoed in his head, torturing him until his stomach churned.  
The sight of what he had done burned into his eyes. Murder, he had murdered them in cold blood. He had killed them. Fast, he had to get out of there, he couldn’t breathe. He was suffocating. Face pale and palms sweaty, Eridan ran to the transportalizer in the center of the room and hastily retreated to the roof. The sudden rush of fresh, dry air was too much, reacting harshly with his aching stomach until he gagged, doubling over to be sick over the edge. He hadn’t even thought there was enough in him to come back up, but when he wiped his mouth, there was an alarming amount of violet blood on the back of his hand.  
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”  
The voice alone brought forth another wave of retching. The seadweller was sick until there was nothing left, even then his stomach was constricting, trying to force out what wasn’t there. Jack was furious. “YOU FUCKING TRAITOR! YOU IDIOT! You are going to DIE I will stab you so many times you will feel it in EVERY TIMELINE!”  
“Just make it fast,” Eridan silently begged, unable to stop gagging long enough for speech. “Please, just end it fast.”  
But no end came, no reply came, nothing came. He was left with an eerie silence and a painfully throbbing heart. His stomach eventually calmed but he didn’t dare move, he remained paralyzed by grief until suddenly there was a disturbance in the air. He drew in a deep breath and found himself listening to the sound of large, fluttering wings. A double honk of a bulb horn echoed through the night. Then, a familiar voice was whispering in his ear.  
“Heeeeeeeey Eridork,” She sneered, slowly circling him as he trembled on his knees. “Not feeling too hot, huh? Awwwwwwww, that’s too cute.”  
“There’s nothin’… nothin’ cute about murder vvris,” He choked, throat raw and burning.  
“then why’d you do it, motherfucker?”  
Eridan froze. “Gam?”  
“YEAH BRO IT BE FUCKING ME MOTHERFUCKER,” The juggalo boomed, causing Eridan to shrink back against the wall. “you up in a state of belly aching?”  
“I don’t think he can handle it,” Vriska laughed, fluttering around with her glittering wings. “He’s too sensitive; he was just puking his guts up over here.”  
“Shut up...”  
“WHAT’S THAT BRO? you’re sounding a little motherfucking hoarse.”  
“I said shut UP!”  
The two others watched as Eridan struggled to his feet, pale, alarmingly thin, and shivering, but on his feet. “Don’t you dare taunt me,” He growled. “I’vve been through some intense shit and I am not in the mood. I wwill murder you both wwithout a thought don’t evven test me.”  
Gamzee lazily swung his club, giving a wicked grin, and Vriska began shaking her dice, prompting Eridan to gulp, lifting up his wand, preparing to shoot. He had never felt worse, but not once before had he ever looked so much like his ancestor.  
The three murderers stared each other down, no one making a move. Then, while the tension built and they felt just what each of the others were capable of doing, light footsteps broke the silence. Everyone turned to see a startlingly familiar jade blood glowing white in the darkness, a long, flowing sash tied around he bloodied waist. Before anyone else could move Kanaya charged, kicking the juggalo so hard in the crotch he gave a high pitched honk, hat, glasses and club all flying in different directions as he tumbled over the edge. Next she turned on Vriska, punching the navy blood in the jaw, knocking her to the ground without even waiting to watch her skid. Instead she nabbed Eridan’s wand, causing any sense of safety or strength he had to drain, leaving him cold, scared, and helpless. He stared on in horror, the sharp snap of his wand being broken in two ringing in his ears. This sound was quickly drowned out and forgotten, the harshly revving engine of the wicked chainsaw taking over just as it hacked through the seadweller’s middle, sending a sickening wave of agony through his body.  
He only felt the pain for about three seconds before falling to the ground in two. Dead, he sank into a blissful oblivion where he felt nothing at all.  
Surrendering to death was easy. There was no hurt, no voices, and best of all no fear. Even the guilt and heartache numbed, leaving him to drift along with nothing but his thoughts. While in the void he imagined good things, his lusus and the color purple, great war heroes and music, all of the things he liked. Then, something caught his eye. He blinked, puzzled. He had thought everything would simply end with death, but strangely, it hadn’t. It was confusing, but he must have still been present on some plane of existence. He could think, he could see, and he could move. It wasn’t heaven, but it wasn’t hell either, so he went ahead and drifted towards what had caught his attention. A large black bubble that was surrounded by a glowing blue light, giving the seadweller’s face a flickering navy tint. When he reached out to touch, the light enveloped his hand in warmth, drawing him inside. As soon as he entered, he realized that he had been wrong. He was in hell.  
Sollux, Feferi, Kanaya, all of their voices echoed through his head, begging for mercy or wailing in agony. He knew in a second that peace had left him for good; he regretted ever nearing the dream bubble and longed for the blissful nothingness to return. The was no way to die again, he had no escape then, doomed to face the horrendous pain caused by his own hands and even live through it himself.  
Crippled with nausea, Eridan tumbled through the rainbow splattered lab from his nightmares, stopping once to vomit a rich purple before being grabbed by the hair, yanked away from the puddle of sick by an unseen force, thrusted instead into the face of the young lavender blood who cried out for his lusus, the lusus he was sure Eridan had heartlessly slaughtered. No matter how many time the grossly distorted memories replayed, Eridan could never save the child from his vicious end or stop the dire pain of being sawed in half. “Is this my neww forevver?” He cried as the world around him continued to warp and reform. “Is there no way out?”  
“Eridan…”  
“I can’t take this torture!”  
“Eridan, please…”  
“MAKE IT STOP!”  
And then suddenly, he was falling.  
 **End of part one.**


	7. Chapter 7

Waking up screaming was nothing new to Eridan, he had gotten used to it after the death of his lusus, but never since then had he expected warmth, or the tender pap that cut his cry short. He looked up, eyes searching blindly until finally, his glasses were slid over his eyes. His vision cleared and he found himself in the arms of a jade blood, the very hade blood whose screams had haunted him in the afterlife. She shushed him softly, rocking as she stroked his cheek. So gentle she was, every move she made was careful, delicate and graceful. Her warmth alone sent Eridan into a fit, the traumatized Aquarius quickly dissolving into tears. He clung to her as tears shook his entire body. He was alive, she was alive, and for now, those awful voices were silent.

"You are quite safe now," She assured him, voice calm and soothing. "Hush Mr. Ampora, stop those tears."

"I can't" He choked, sniffling pathetically as she drew him close against her chest. "I… Died and… And I wwas dead…. And… and y-you-"

"I have sewn you back together."

He lifted his head. "Wwhat?"

"Your body," She explained. "When the game ended, and our planet calmed, all deceased players returned to their hives, alive. Of course, the scars of their journeys remained, but they were otherwise restored to their proper form. You on the other hand, required a bit of assistance for your resurrection, so I chose to reassemble you myself."

Slowly, with trembling hands and a growing sense of dread, Eridan lifted the hem of his shirt and gasped, brushing his fingers across the row of cross stitching that encircled his waist. There was no blood, and the cord used as thread was thick and very strong, but the area was still extremely tender. He winced and drew his hand back, eyes widening when he felt Kanaya's arms snake back around him in a protective embrace. "I am regretful to inform you that it will scar you for life," She sighed. "But I will assure you that my sewing will hold, and the wound will heal."

For life. So, he really was alive. If Kanaya hadn't stitched him back together he'd still be dead. "Wwhy'd ya bother?" He had to know. "I k-ki… I killed ya, kan…"

"And I have realized that you were in a very frightful place on the veil. In a way I knew before, you weren't your spirited, yet pompous self when I delivered that wand to you, something was very wrong and I did nothing, so for that, I am so very sorry. Your killing of me was rash, but understood. By myself, at least."

"Th-thank you," He managed to croak, the words barely escaping as his throat closed up again, any overflow turning into strangled sobs. The highblood was exhausted, he was scared to death, and he was a complete wreck, but with the rainbow drinker holding him tight, he felt very nearly safe.

"Lets get you where it's warm,"" Kanaya finally said, knowing that in his condition, sitting on a pier in the howling wind would do him no good. "Come now, can you stand?"

With a bit of help, he did manage to get to his feet, leaning heavily on Kanaya as he stumbled to the edge of the pier. He was surprised to see a small row boat there, bobbing gently on the waves. "I had to fetch you, somehow," She explained, helping the seadweller in. "I thought that if there was a way to stay dry while paying you a visit, people would be more inclined to do so."

He nodded, letting Kanaya drape a blanket over his shoulders as she moved out into open water. He didn't say anything, but he doubted the little vessel would see much use.

Once at his hive, Kanaya attempted to steer Eridan towards his recuperacoon, but he wouldn't have it. He still hated the vile thing, so instead Kanaya wound up spending the night, chuckling softly when Eridan curled up like a child in her arms. His sleep was mercifully dreamless, restful, and deep. When he woke, Kanaya was sitting in a pile of clothes, hand sewing a shimmering purle cape. It looked softer, and so much warmer than the one he currently wore. He watched silently as she worked, finding that he was wrapped in three, thick blankets, his head propped up by a fluffy white pillow.

The jade blood looked up at the sound of him stirring. "Oh, you've woken up," She said, standing and brushing off her skirt. "You're thinner than I am, I noticed that when I first held you. We cannot have that, now can we? You must eat something."

Eridan was starving, but he wasn't sure how much his stomach would hold. Even so he stretched, hearing his knuckles and joints pop, but stopping when he saw the look of disapproval on Kanaya's face. "No no, its fine," She assured him when he tried to apologize. "I realize you must be stiff, you were asleep for quite some time."

"Howw long?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Four or five days," She said dismissively. "Longer than most of us actually, Mr. Makara had you beat though I'm afraid, especially after his soper relapse."

He let that sink in. He hadn't wanted to think about the others, honestly, he was afraid of them, after what he did they all probably wanted him to stay dead. He swallowed hard, there was one person he had to know about. "So um, howw's fef?"

Kanaya paused for a moment, then turned to face Eridan with a sympathetic expression. "No landwellers have heard from out young heiress since the game's end, no one but…" She took in the desperate look in Eridan's eyes and refocused on her feet. "Mr. Captor had been coming down to the water, often."

It stung, but Kanaya started again, saving Eridan from slipping into some sort of episode. "I am going to begin your breakfast," She informed him. "Go freshen up; perhaps it will lift your spirits."

As it turned out, she was right. As he showered, scrubbing his body clean of grime and sweat, he realized just how unhealthy he looked. His bones were visible through his skin, the muscles he had taken pride in before having completely vanished. His gray skin was growing pale, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make his hands stop shaking. He took extra care in getting washed, making sure every square inch of his form was spotless, clean, and smelling of his expensive shower gel. It had an alluring, masculine aroma, while his shampoo smelled strongly of vanilla. Those mixed with the natural scent of the ocean created a fragrance that was so uniquely Eridan, not a single other soul could pull it off.

Like his smell and hygiene, materialistic and physical things were the seadweller's main focus for the remainder of the day. He styled his hair, he wore the cape Kanaya made him, and he sat reading for hours on end, moving only to turn the page. Every few hours Kanaya would chatter at him until he ate something. She fed him simple things like bread, fruit, and thick soup that could warm him to his core. She'd cook anything that she believed his sensitive stomach would hold. Fortunately, everything seemed to stay down okay and when night fell, the jade blood would gather Eridan in her arms and read with him until they both found sleep.

This quickly became routine. Having someone constantly around was good for Eridan. They didn't really do much together, and they never talked about the game, but just knowing another troll was near did a lot. He didn't have nightmares in her arms, he didn't feel the pain he caused, in fact, he stopped feeling. He wasn't dying anymore, but he wasn't quite living either. The former prince was comfortable, but Kanaya soon grew restless.

"Eridan," She said, gently rubbing his head one morning, waiting for him to open his eyes. "I am very sorry to wake you, but I didn't want to depart without informing you first."

"Y-you're gonna leavve me?" He asked, voice small, panicked, and suddenly very, very vulnerable. "But kan… kan I need you!"

"I simply cannot baby sit you any longer," She said tiredly. "I haven't left your side in months, I long to visit with the others, my matesprite misses me, and I need to get on with my life." Softening her tone, she touched her hand to Eridan's cheek, feeling the wetness of tears. "And you must do the same."

But he didn't want to get on with his life. He wanted to be safe, and by himself, he wasn't sure he could stay that way. "I can't." He whispered, clinging to her shirt. "Please, kan, don't leavve me..."

She sighed, bringing him close and running her fingers through his hair. Over the months they spent together, Kanaya had been powerless against the growing affection she felt for the broken highblood. It was almost a maternal love, and the itch to nurture him would never vanish completely. They shared a connection, so she let him cry on her shoulder on last time until he finally ran out of tears, simply falling back asleep, having exhausted himself. She smiled softly, a touch of sadness in her eyes as she transferred his head to the pillow and tucked him in. The seadweller tired so easily, it was pitiful.

When he opened his eyes again, Kanaya was gone, but her words remained. She wanted Eridan to get on with his life, and he owed it to her to try. So instead of curling back up to cry like he so wanted to, he dragged himself off the couch and shuffled to the bathroom to shower. He stayed in until the water ran cold, then dried off, dressing in a pair of pajama's Kanaya made. They were warm, but he still shivered, so he took a history book off the top of a tall stack, lugged both his blanket and a pillow to a corner and made a nest, quickly losing himself in stories of the past. For a long time this worked, over the months Eridan had gained a little weight back and was healthier due to Kanaya's persistent nurturing. Because of that care, Eridan got through the first four nights relatively well. He ate at least once a day, he read his books and kept himself clean and even touched up his purple bangs. The only problems he faced were his returning loneliness, and the long, cold hours of the night.

He knew what was coming, every night got worse and worse. He would hear faint voices, whispers of death and torture. He'd see blurred, hazy visions of bloody claws and inhumane weapons. Eating in the morning became less and less appealing, and slowly, he stopped. The nightmares returned in full force. Every night he woke in a cold sweat, screaming for people he cared for, shaking when he saw the messily slaughtered before his eyes. He longed for Kanaya's gentle care, but he knew she wouldn't come. She would only tell him to go sleep in his recuperacoon, what he was experiencing was only natural for trolls. Only Eridan defied the norm, depending on the arms of another to chase the dreams away. But despite his doubt he begged her, and just as he feared, his former caretaker refused to return to him, and before he knew it he had lost all progress Kanaya made in getting him healthy again.

Eridan was truly desperate. He couldn't even go outside without his teeth chattering from the cold. He was skin and bones, not one lick of fat or muscle to preserve his body heat. As for sleeping, it was practically impossible without Kanaya's arms to hold him. Out of exhaustion, Eridan gradually stopped caring about the way he looked. He forgot to shower, change his clothes or comb his hair; he even let his roots show under the purple of his bangs. One day, after finishing the last page of his last book, he hit his breaking point. He desperately needed to sleep.

Feeling slightly dizzy, the highblood shed his clothes and stumbled towards the cocoon he had pressed up against the wall of his respite block. Who even gave a shit about the greasy slime? Every other troll slept in it since their wriggling days. All of the stubbornness Eridan was known for had long since evaporated. He barely hesitated getting inside, sinking beneath the soper and surrendering to the warmth. If the mess would allow him to sleep, he doubted he'd ever come out.

But when his eyes snapped open the next morning, he nearly knocked his cocoon over in his frantic attempt to escape. His frame shook so bad he almost didn't make it to the bathroom before he throwing up what little food he had been able to eat the day before. Even during his youth Eridan had gotten sick easily, but he had never felt anything quite that awful. It was like his stomach was trying to turn itself inside out. The wave of nausea hadn't been a result of grief or some nightmare, no; for once his sleep had been peaceful. This sickness had to be a reaction to the toxins he spent the night in. Unlike the others, his body wasn't used to the drug like effects of soper. They did their job, yes. Eridan had slept well and was rested, but as her soon discovered, enduring the side effects was a hefty price to pay for it.

He only lasted one day before the hallucinations began.

The haunting apparitions only appeared to him during the day, but somehow, that just made them seem more real. Not all of them were scary, a large portion of them simply tore at his heart. He'd spend hours begging Feferi not to leave him, or hopelessly searching for his custodian, terrified something awful was going to happen to him. At times, he lost his grip on reality all together, only to wind up stumbling after the hallucinations straight into a wall or splashing face first into the ocean until he could eventually separate real from fake again.

Real wasn't always the better option. Between chills, sweats and getting sick, it was hard to even try and eat. Everything he put in his stomach just came back up anyway, and the visions only got more believable. "Fef, please, come wwith me," He was begging one morning. "I can't let him heart ya please, I don't wwant ya to die…"

"Eridan please, get a hold yourself!" She huffed, her hands on her slender hips. "I'm so done with you, our frondship is over!"

"But Fef, you don't understand, he-"

"I don't understand!" She growled, a new and achingly familiar bite to her tone. "You're the one who doesn't understand, you're the one who's going to die!"

Before he could flinch, the heiress pulled a sword from her middle and shoved it straight through Eridan's gut, causing him to drop to his knees, eyes. When he put his hand to his stomach, he felt something warm and wet. All he could feel was wet, even his lungs filled with fluid. Slowly, he lifted his trembling hand to eye level, seeing it dripping with every color of the rainbow. His heart rate quickened, his pulse throbbing in his ears at a deafening volume. So loud in fact, that when the panic rose in his chest, he never even heard himself scream.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the hemospectrum, Sollux was battling a little frustration at his own hive.


	8. Chapter 8

The Gemini was pretty angry. He was more frustrated with himself than anything else, though. When he woke up from the game, everything had healed accept his eyes. He no longer had a gaping wound in his middle, and his teeth were back to their awkward, lisp inducing state, but his powers were gone. Even now at nine sweeps old, he was still mostly blind. Of course, he could see enough to get around without sniffing like Terezi, but his psionic’s never returned. As thankful as he was for not having to lick his computer to hack, he still agonized over the fact that his eyes still remained one black, and one white. This however, wasn’t what was currently aggravating him. He was irritable because as a result of his impaired vision, he couldn’t manage to herd his bee’s into their little hive. He had plans to go visit Feferi at the pier soon, but the little buzzer’s kept following him outside. On top of them following their master around like a bunch of challenged ducklings, without Biclops constantly eating the mind honey, it was getting everywhere.  
“Th’tay the FUCK inth’ide!” He barked, pointing back towards where he assumed the door was. It was blurred, like he was constantly peering through muddy water. “I mean it, ath’ th’oon ath’ my pth’ionicth’ come back, I th’wear to god!”  
A few flew closer, buzzing at him affectionately and nuzzling his face. The things knew him well, well enough to know that psionics were a touchy subject. That said, when he shooed them away again, they obeyed. “Th’tupid little bath’tardth’,” He muttered, shaking his head before heading out. He couldn’t help but smile then at the gleaming hunk of metal parked outside his hive. He pushed up his multicolored glasses, jogging down towards it.  
Alternia went through a number of changes after the game, most of which of which were direct results of the humans that hung around all the time. The changes had been gradual, some more drastic than others, and not all trolls approved, but they were happening just the same, and Sollux couldn’t say he cared. Over the sweep they’ve been home, the culture had transformed, though one troll was still in the dark. But of course, that troll wasn’t Sollux, and the former psionic didn’t know or care, he was too busy stroking the sleek black frame of his shiny new motorcycle.  
Mounting the bike, Sollux whizzed towards the shoreline, the cool morning breeze blowing through his hair. He had a love hate relationship with the water. On the one hand, Feferi lived in there and though he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about her, she was defiantly at least a friend. On the other hand, he couldn’t swim to save his life and had an irrational fear of drowning. Luckily, Feferi never made him go in deeper than his knees. Not that he would. Ever.  
On this train of thought, he couldn’t help but eye the waves was he parked on the pier, but he let it slip his mind as usual, instead thinking about how Feferi was going to lecture him about not wearing a helmet on his bike. Understandably, the heiress had gotten very bitter upon her own waking. She refused to even talk to any of the others; Sollux was the only one she ever contacted. He supposed that made them moirals or something, but then again, he could never really decipher his own emotions. He sighed and that was when he heard the scream.  
The shrill sound of terror made Sollux’s blood go cold. It was far too low in pitch to have been Feferi, but there was no doubting that it came from somewhere beyond the sand, yet not muted by the water. He wandered cautiously towards the end of the pier, wondering what poor tortured creature could have produced such a shriek. Then, as he spotted the blurry outline of the island harboring that long, wrecked ship, it hit him.  
That was Eridan's hive.  
“Oh fuck,” Sollux groaned, looking frantically around. Who knew what that little fish faced bastard was up to, but it sounded painful, and Sollux wasn’t that cruel. He had to do something. “The boat!” He said aloud. He had noticed the thing months ago. He never dreamed he’d be forced to use it, but hell, it was better than attempting to swim, and without his psionics, flying wasn’t an option. Cursing, he climbed into the tiny vessel, getting even nastier with his words when the shitty thing rocked and bobbed under his weight. “ED you better be fucking dying right now, I th’wear,” He muttered. But when he finally made it to the small, secluded island, he realized he was worried sick. No one, not even Eridan, deserved a reason to scream like that.  
So with urgency in every step, Sollux leapt from the boat, nearly smacking into the door in an attempt to get it open. It was locked. He jiggled the handle, pulling hard. He was so close, he could hear that hipster’s cries loud and clear. It sounded like someone was tearing him apart limb by limb. “ED, open the door!” He grunted, giving up on the handle and instead just throwing his weight against the brittle wood. “Dammit… ED, th’hit!”  
Sooner than expected the door splintered beneath the troll, sending him sprawling into what looked to be a formal living room.  
“No… No… H-help, No…”  
And then, Sollux saw him. He was on his knees in the middle of the hall, one hand clutching his gut and the other raised to eye level. He stared at it, horrified, as if it held every fearsome nightmare he could imagine. He stared as if all the pain in the world had been caused by that thin, trembling hand. That wasn’t even the worst part.  
Sollux could not only tell that something was disturbingly wrong, he also saw that the scared, scrawny troll before him was not the same Eridan Ampora he remembered. He didn’t hold one ounce of hate for this troll, how could he? The poor guy was completely helpless, slave to whatever hell was in his own mind.  
Just like Sollux had been before the game.  
“Come on man, th’peak to me,” He was able to croak, cautiously approaching the others shivering form. “ED thith’ ith’n’t good, wherever you’re at, th’nap out of it!”  
Eridan could only shake his head, crying “No,” Over and over until he was screaming again at the top of his lungs, ear piercing shrieks that shook him to the core as he clutched at his chest, as if to rip himself to bits. Sollux was about to completely panic when suddenly, the Aquarius’ eyes rolled back and he crumpled, limp in the low bloods ill prepared arms. Only a maddening silence followed.  
All the trolls had known Eridan was in a rough shape. When Kanaya had returned from spending months with him she refused to give specifics, but it was clear that the prince of hope had been left with a lot less than nothing. She worried about him a lot, but seemed set on leaving him on his own. Her human matesprit, the seer of light, must have foretold something that stopped her from returning. Even so, no one ever dreamed he’d be this bad. Bone thin, unkept and lost in a hell of hallucinations, no one could have known, could they?  
A stab of guilt hit the lowblood like a ton of bricks as he held the other in his arms. He could have done something, anyone could have, he knew firsthand how violent hallucinations could get, better than anyone he understood the fear of not knowing what was real from what wasn’t, it made his stomach hurt thinking about it. Right then he made a pact with himself, and wordlessly, with Eridan, that he wouldn’t leave the poor thing like this, he would heal what was broken, whatever it took. He would find what was lost if it cost him his life, a small place to start, but necessary just the same. Sollux lifted Eridan and carried him to the couch, where a makeshift nest of some sort was already fashioned. He assumed it was one of those bed things humans slept in. It worked. Even with sollux’s less than impressive muscle mass, Eridan was far from heavy. Lifting Feferi could have proved to be more trouble, and she was pretty slim. “God ED,” He groaned, laying the limp highblood in the mess of blankets. “What did thith’ to you?”  
As expected, he got no answer, so he stood and looked around, raking his brains for a way to help when his eyes landed on the kitchen. He looked at Eridan’s hollow looking cheek bones and sunken eyes, wincing. He needed nutrients badly. He was only nine sweeps old, he shouldn’t have looked so sickly.  
Gnawing nervously on his lip, Sollux rummaged through the cabinets, squinting through his glasses at the labels he could hardly read. He searched for something that would be warm, something easy to swallow and for God’s sake something with vitamins.  
After some hunting, Sollux came up with a can of clam chowder. He poured it into a pot and simmered it on the stove, constantly checking over his shoulder for any sign that Eridan had stirred. Every glance was the same, even after Sollux had poured the soup into a bowl and brought it over, Eridan never moved an inch. The Gemini swallowed past a lump in his throat and dipped a spoon into the food, lifting it up and blowing it until it ceased its seaming. “Come on buddy,” He whispered, gently nudging the others mouth open. “You’ve got to eat, man.”  
He poured the little spoonful into the seadweller’s mouth and watched, holding his breath. Like a statue coming to life, Eridan swallowed, then was completely still once more. Exhaling with relief, Sollux continued to feed him, feeling accomplished when soon, half the chowder was gone. He was pretty proud and was about to scoop up another spoonful when suddenly, Eridan jerked up, face turning an alarming shade of green as he scrambled up, nearly knocking Sollux and the soup onto the ground. “Chrith’t, ED!” He yelped, but was cut off by the revolting sound of vomit as Eridan emptied all he had eaten into the toilet. Sollux grimaced, but was in no way prepared for what he faced next.  
“Wwhat the bloody fuck are you tryin’ to do to me?” Eridan wheezed before dropping to his hands and knees, unable to stand. He clutched at his middle and groaned. “Bleedin’, shit spewwin’ geysers from HELL…”  
“Oh dammit, don’t hurl again,” Sollux said quickly, holding his hands out as if that would stop him. “Jeth’uth’ that wath’ nath’ty.”  
“I'm so sorry to have reacted to wwhatevver poison you wwere tryin’ to slip down my throat!” He hissed, face breaking out into a sweat. “Next time you attempt ta murder me do it fast, oh god my fuckin’ stomach I hate you.”  
“WHAT?” Sollux demanded, appalled. “You think that wath’ poith’on? It wath clam fucking chowder! Pleath’e, pardon me for trying to th’ave your life!”  
“I don’t need you to save me,” He snapped, curling in on himself, almost skiddish in his movements. “I wwas fine!”  
“You were begging to be th’aved!”  
“I wwas fuckin hallucinatin’! Ya can’t hold me ta that, noww go awway I'm gonna be sick!”  
“Fuck that, I'm not leaving, you need th’ome th’eriouth’ help!”  
“Wwhy do you evven wwanna help me?” He cried, tears spilling down his cheeks so suddenly it alarmed Sollux. “I tried to kill you!”  
“Yeah, you did, right after I tried to kill you!” The mustard blood shot back. “Like it or not, I'm going to fucking th’tay here until you’re better becauth’e there ith’ th’omething very wrong with you!”  
There was a long, weighted paused, filled with the sound of heavy breathing. “Fine,” Eridan finally chocked, hanging his head. “Fine, stay.”  
Even though he hadn’t started it for once, Sollux felt horribly guilty for yelling at him. “Hey, don’t be like that,” The lowblood finally said, voice gentler now. “I'm th’orry, I didn’t know it would make you th’ick… Are you like, allergic to clamth’ or th’omething?” He wasn’t really sure why Eridan would have kept the stuff around if he couldn’t eat it, but maybe he used to feed it to his custodian.  
It made a little sense, but Eridan was shaking his head. “Not clams,” He mumbled. “Slime.”  
Sollux frowned. “Th’lime? Like, th’oper th’lime? The th’ame th’tuff we th’leep in?”  
“The seadweller ground his teeth together. “Yeah, that.”  
Well that explained the bed, and the nausea, but if he was allergic to slime… “Well what keepth’ the nightmareth’ away?”  
The pained look on Eridan's face told Sollux all he needed to know. “Oh.”  
“My custodian used to do it,” The highblood began to explain. “I’d sleep wwith him in the wwater every night. But then he died, and started crashin’ on my couch…” His composure crumbled, and Sollux dropped down beside him, rubbing his back as he began to cry again. He didn’t want to talk anymore, he didn’t want to remember. The hallucinations did that for him.  
“Th’hhhhh..” Sollux soothed, petting the thinner trolls hair. “It’th okay, man, I'm gonna take care of you now, okay? We’ll find a way to get you th’ome th’hut eye.”  
Since the slime clearly wasn’t working out, and he had given up on sleeping alone, Sollux figured that he’d just have to get in the bed as well. It was a strange thought, cuddling up to someone he tried to kill once, but then, Eridan was different now, Sollux was different now, and as he felt the others tears soaking through his shirt, he knew he was really, really needed. It was a good feeling. Pulling back a little, he patted Eridan on the shoulder, heart breaking a little at the sight of him crying like that. “You’re really, really tired right now, aren’t you?”  
He nodded helplessly and Sollux offered him a crooked smile, standind and extending a hand. “Come on big guy, I’ll help you th’tand.”  
Eridan placed his trembling hand in Sollux’s and tugged himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the taller troll as they made their way to the couch. Sollux wasn’t really tired himself so he let Eridan lay his head on his lap as he killed time playing with his phone. He learned right away that the seadweller was a big cuddler. His arms snaked around the Gemini’s waist and nuzzled against his stomach about ever six seconds. Honestly it was adorable, and Sollux was finding it hard to focus on his mobile hacking, especially when the troll in his lap started purring. “What the fuck… Really?” He mumbled, rolling his eyes and trying not to smile. “Are you even ath’leep? You can’t be thith’ cute in your th’leep.”  
Sollux suddenly frowned. He honestly couldn’t believe he had even said that out loud. If Eridan hadn’t been truly asleep, he would have hid under the blankets. Sollux never complemented anything, ever, it just wasn’t something he did too often. Maybe he was tired after all, but before he could lay down and join the highblood in what looked to be a very peaceful slumber, his phone buzzed in his hand, Feferi's picture flashing on the screen.  
He had totally blown her off. It had been necessary and clearly justified, but Feferi didn’t yet know that. She must have been livid. Sollux’s lip curled up in a sneer of dread and he tapped the end button, powering the device off. Talking might have woke Eridan, anyway. He knew he’d been in deep shit later, but with the snuggling Aquarius’s purr lulling him to sleep, he couldn’t bring himself to care. So with a sigh, he set his glasses on the table nearby and wiggled until he was waist deep in blankets, Eridan's head on his chest. He laid there awkwardly, eyes open and body stiff, but then he started to relax, and gradually, he felt his arms slink around the others middle. He was fast asleep in an instant.


	9. Chapter 9

Having been more tired than he though, Sollux slept through the night and well into the morning. Eridan even woke before him, very reluctant to move. When he had felt Sollux pulling his head into his lap the night before, Eridan had become very self conscious. He told himself that the Gemini was focused on his phone, not paying any attention to what he did, but he couldn't help but be hyper aware of every movement he made. Even so, he had been far too exhausted to be paranoid for long. It wasn't long before he gave in and snuggled up, letting the deep fog of sleep take him in. Because of Sollux's strong arms, he had no nightmares.

Though, upon waking he did get a sudden since of terror, feeling as if he was falling from a building. His first instinct was to scream, but before he could make a sound he heard a muffled groan, and the body beneath him shifted, a strong pair of arms pulling him closer to a radiating warmth. The scream dissolved in his throat and he relaxed into the protective hold, closing his eyes and snuggling nearer. It wasn't long before Sollux stirred. He squinted through his cloudy vision at the scene around him, feeling Eridan's nose skimming along his collar bone in a sleepy sort of nuzzle. "Ahh, FUCK!" He yelped, so startled he nearly tumbled off the couch. Instinctively, he grabbed Eridan by his waist, protecting them both from falling.

The highblood's eyes grew huge and he froze in place, staring forward like a deer caught in headlights. It was pitiful. "Oh, chrith't," Sollux panted, pulling the other closer and patting his hair. "It'th juth't you, ED…"

In an attempt to sooth the frightened seadweller, Sollux lifted his chin, making eye contact. "Hey, I'm th'orry, I didn't mean to th'care you."

"Wwhat's wwrong wwith your eyes?" Was the first thing out of the others mouth.

The Gemini's face flushed yellow and he grabbed for his glasses, shoving them on his face and turning away. "My pth'ionicth'… Never healed," He admitted. "I'm still half blind."

Eridan's oversensitive heart sank, tears stinging in his eyes. "Sol I'm so sorry," He choked.

"Oh, ED no, don't cry," Sollux murmured, pulling him close again. "It'th not your fault they aren't back, I promith'."

"Howw isn't it my fault?" He sniffled, on the brink of a breakdown.

Sollux had to coddle him and reassure him for quite some time before he finally calmed. He quickly realized that taking care of Eridan was like watching over an emotionally unstable grub. Th guy was nine sweeps old and he was completely terrified of everything. They way he clung to sollux's clothes, and the way he would always hide in his cape made it quickly apparent that there was a traumatic element to his sickness. He needed to learn how to live again, but before he could take the time heal on the inside, something needed to be done about the outside. "Dude," Sollux was practically begging him one day. "You have got to eat _th'omething."_

Mealtimes for Eridan were about as smooth as bath times for kittens. The only thing Sollux could ever get him to ingest willingly was water, which thankfully, the seadweller always held down. Anything more than that, was a feat of great persuasion, patience, or trickery. For the first week Sollux would feed Eridan soup in his sleep, and usually, he'd digest it okay. But lately, he'd either wake up and become angry, or get violently sick. Sometimes both. Eating in general just became a miserable experience, but Sollux was worried. Eridan was his friend now, and he was slowly wasting away. "Pleath'e man, you're killing me."

Eridan grimaced at the steaming bowl in front of him, feeling his stomach churn. What scared him was that he honestly didn't feel hunger. "Sol, I'm gonna be sick."

"Come on, they're juth't noodleth', at leath't try."

"No."

Sollux slammed his palms against his face, dragging them downwards as if to peel his skin off. "I thought you  _wanted_  be taken care of," He groaned. "Your being th'o difficult!"

"Wwell if I'm such a pain in the ass wwhy do you  _wwant_  to take care of me?" He demanded, a sudden edge to his tone. "Sol, I tried to  _kill_ you, wwhy do you evven bother?"

Sollux gritted his teeth. "Look, I know you've been through a lot, we all have, and you have every right to e pith'y, but that'th' not gonna th'top me from giving a th'hit about you."

"Bet Fef lovves that," Hr muttered.

The other frowned, puzzled. "Wait, what?"

Eridan didn't say anything. He was hurt, confused, and felt more than a little betrayed. While Sollux had showered that morning, his phone had started buzzing nonstop. Feferi had left dozens of messages, and just seeing her picture flashing on the screen tore Eridan up inside. He knew he had no just claim on Feferi  _or_  Sollux, but his emotions were so fried he couldn't help being upset. Before he could cry, he buried his face in his arms, staring at the table as the tears stung his eyes. He wasn't even angry; he didn't have it in him to be truly angry, he was just sad.

Like an over protective momma bear, Sollux couldn't stand the sight of Eridan upset. He reached across the table and gripped the highblood's shoulder, lowering his voice to a gently mumble. "Hey man, FF hath' nothing to do with thith', I don't care if th'he getth' mad, my quadrantth' are none of her buith'neth'."

There was another long pause and Sollux sighed, pushing the bowl of noodles closer to Eridan. "Pleath'e eat," He said, trying to distract from the fact that the word quadrant had escaped his mouth. "at thith' point I'd do anything, juth't get th'omething in your th'tomach."

"I'm tired of soup," Eridan finally admitted, pushing the bowl away a final time. "I'm not stomachin' this shit anymore."

The Gemini raised his brows. "Wait, th'o you do want to eat?"

"I wwill eat," He said slowly, effectively avoiding the question. "But I'm fuckin sick of soups and noodles, if I'm gonna havve to hurl it up later, I wwant to at least enjoy it on the wway dowwn."

"Underth'tood!" Sollux said, grinning. "Alright, I'll get you th'ome real food. Will you be okay by yourth'elf for a few minuteth'?"

He hesitated, but eventually nodded. Sollux was pretty reluctant to leave him, but in the end, he shoulder his leather jacket, gave Eridan's head an affectionate pat, grabbed his phone as headed out the door. Just where he had left it, the little boat sat nestled in the sound, just out of the tides reach. He did  _not_  want to get in, but if a little boat trip could get Eridan eating, he'd take motion sickness and be glad. He could mentally prepare for that, out think the unstable vessel. What he wasn't prepared for, was the boat moving on its own just seconds after his entrance. He swore colorfully, gripping the wooden bench until his knuckles were white, nearly yelping in surprise when a familiar face rose from the waves just after the boat was docked.

She avoided Sollux's eyes as she tied the boat to the pier, delicate fingers twisting the rope into perfect sailor knots. Sollux watched, still shaken from the little ride. Feferi Piexis was still beautiful, just as she always had been. Now at nine sweeps old, she had developed a tall, slim figure and curves that could bring any troll to their knees. She was all women no doubt, a powerful empress to be, but when she turned around Sollux was reminded of one stark difference this Feferi showed from that of their youth. Instead of that cheerful, excited smile he was so fond of, he was met with a condescending sneer, her full black lips curled up in irritation. "You could have thanked me," She sniffed, crossing her arms. "I didn't have to help, you know."

"Thank you FF," He sighed, feeling a headache coming on. What was he supposed to say to her? "Th'o um… how've you been?"

"Oh just  _beachy,"_ She snapped, still making fish puns, even in her nastiest moods. "I've been having a tuna fun trying to track your glubbing ass down. Apparently, you were just hanging with my ex moiral!"

"I'm juth't helping him get back on hith' feet," Sollux tried to explain. "He'th really th'ick, he need'th me."

"Cute," She sneered. "Maybe after you're done spoon feeding him, you can paint a target on your heart so he won't have to strain himself shooting you."

"ED'th not gonna murder me!" He huffed, disbelief rising in his tone. "Chrith't, he'd be dead in a month if I wath' gone!"

"Then be gone."

Sollux's temper flared. "Look here, printh'eth', I don't care who you are or what power you think you poth'eth', but you have  _no idea_  what he'th' been through!"

"Oh, and you do?"

"No," He said shortly. "I don't, and I might not ever know, but I do know  _thith'._  Everynight the poor guy th'ufferth' through nightmareth' and he waketh' up  _th'creaming_ over  _you. He crieth'_ over wanting to protect _you!_  Holy chrith't, all he'th ever wanted wath' you!" By these point, Sollux was seething with rage. Feferi didn't understand, she had no right to say anything about Eridan, not in Sollux's eyes. Not after the prince wailed for hours on end, desperately trying to escape the Gemini's arms to save the hallucination he believed to be his first love.

Now, Sollux was screaming. The tiny little boat rocked dangerously as he scrambled out, shouting protectively about just what kind of shape Eridan was in. "He cant th'leep by himth'elf, he won't eat by himth'elf, and I'm fucking  _terrified_ that he'th gonna die of th'tarvation!" His voice broke but he powered through. "If you wanna hold a grudge, fine, but I'm gonna th'ave him with or without your approval."

Without even a passing glance at the guilt and sorrow seeping into her expression, Sollux mounted his motorcycle and kicked it into gear, leaving her alone in the waves. He was furious, how could a girl who used to be so sweet and kind, grow into someone so heartlessly stubborn? Any thought of filling a red quadrant with her evaporated from his mind for good, the only romance he could have felt for her at that point would have been dangerously black. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew most of his relationships flipped quadrants because of his bipolar disorder, but as he motored back towards his own hive, he firmly resolved to never raise his temper like that around Eridan, not while he was still so fragile.

Just the thought of frightening him like that made sollux's heart ache. He meant what he said, he was scared for the prince's life. It wasn't normal to eat so little and vomit so much, especially when blood was coming up in such alarming quantities. When his stopped at his hive, he kept this in mind, dumping the contents of his medicine cabinet into a bad. He collected anything that might speed up a recovery. As he gathered a few things for himself like some fresh clothes and his computer, a soft nuzzle and a buzzing sound reminded him of something that could help. "You th'mart little bath'tardth'!" He laughed, drawing the little purple bee close. Mind honey, though catastrophic on its own, had many helpful uses when used correctly, including being a main ingredient in a phenomenal protein serum.

So with the medicine, a few jars of mind honey, and a good amount of money, Sollux said goodbye to his bees and hopped on his bike, making his way to the store for what turned out to be the most awkward shopping trip of his life. Not only did he quickly realize he had no idea what he was doing, he also found that he knew next to nothing about how seadwellers like to live. Did they eat different foods? They were royalty after all, there must have been some differences, especially with Eridan. Sure, he was a little broken now, but he was known for being extremely high maintenance. Sollux knew that first hand now. It was with this sort of confusion that Sollux prowled through the aisles, more often than not just piling up common place items like peanut butter, cheese, and milk in obnoxious amounts. He even found a multivitamin that he could dissolve into Eridan's water, and a few good war novels for the prince to read. The lowblood was pretty proud of himself by the time he made it to the checkout counters.

The women working the register gave him a puzzled sort of look, but said nothing as she rung everything up. Sollux thanked her and paid, excitedly pushing the full cart out of the store. His grin faltered when he reached his motorcycle. With no psionics to help him, he couldn't just levitate the bags, and there was no way he could carry everything let alone steer his bike. He frowned. Abandoning the food was not an option, Eridan needed that food, he needed it badly, and Sollux just had to get it to him.

So he tied the cart to his bike.

It was a stupid idea, he knew it the moment he thought of it, but it served him well despite the strange looks he received. When he got back to the dock, he unloaded the bags into the boat, trying to think of an easier way to get groceries. Thankfully, the little thing stayed afloat even as the lowblood climbed in himself. He had picked u quite a bit of food, so hopefully he wouldn't have to worry about it for a while. With this hope in mind Sollux pushed off from the pier, floating across the calm waters towards Eridan's hive. When the small island came into view, he began to row, gliding smoothly without panic. He was starting to get used to the boat, he almost liked it. He nearly smiled, but then something blurry came into his field of vision, just before the boat could make it to the sand.

It appeared to be Eridan, all the way on the other side of the island. The highblood was fuzzy in Sollux's eyes, he could tell the guy was scared, backing out from the house and towards the edge of the sand. He had one of his fake wands drawn and he was trembling worse than Sollux had seen in a while, terror clearer in his eyes than ever before. "J-jack no, please… stop…" His heels reached the drop off, but he didn't seem aware. His gaze was locked on the space in front of him, a shrill cry escaping his throat. "SOL HELP!"

Abandoning the boat on the shoreline, Sollux sprinted to the other end of the island, his shoes sinking into the sand. He made it to the edge just as Eridan tumbled backwards, splashing into the sea. Sollux panicked, Eridan wasn't coming back up. He had to rescue him. Plugging his nose, Sollux jumped into the icy water, flailing desperately in an attempt to swim. Through his cloudy vision he caught a glimpse of purple and grabbed it, kicking wildly to bring them both back to the surface. He dragged them to shore, gasping for air as Eridan blinked the water from his eyes. "Dammit ED," He shouted, teeth chattering as he released what had turned out to be the others cape. "Don't you EVER do that to me again, underth'tand? You could have gotten yourth'elf KILLED!"

Though there were tears in his eyes, for the first time since his lusus tossed him onto that very shore three sweeps back, Eridan smiled. The mask of depression finally beginning to crack, the highblood slipped into a fit of giggles. "You think thith' ith' funny?" Sollux demanded. "You could have drowned!"

"Sol I have gills," He said gently, voice warm with laughter. "I couldn't drowwn if I tried."

Sollux wanted to kick himself for being so stupid. "Then why the  _fuck_  did you cry for my help?"

His eyes flickered back to where he had fallen from, then he relaxed, relived that there was nothing there. "I guess I wwas just seein' things again."

The Gemini stared for a long time at the seadwellers smile. It seemed almost foreign, and yet it looked so natural. He had never noticed it before, maybe because this was the first time ever seeing it, but his smile was so… charming. Something about it made Sollux feel warm. When he didn't move, Eridan laughed again, moving forward and tucking himself into Sollux's arms. They were soaked to the bone and shivering cold, but Sollux held him tight, feeling his heart beating hard. He remembered this. Though it had been sweeps, he could recall feeling something strikingly similar during his matespritship with Aradia. The realization struck him so suddenly, hitting him like a brick to the face and making him dizzy. He never wanted to let go. It was Eridan who wound up breaking the silence with a yawn. Smiling affectionately, Sollux scooped up the sleepy prince and carried him to their shared bed. Quickly, he dashed outside to gather the groceries, putting them all away before stripping himself and the dozing highblood of their soggy, wet clothing. He blushed during this task, trying not to look at Eridan for too long or linger where he shouldn't, but he only managed to remove the seadweller's cape, scarf and shirt before stopping with a gasp. Nearly all the trolls had scars from the game, but Sollux had never seen one like this before. Around his entire middle were countless intricate stitches. He had literally been sewn back together, thick, durable cord in place of thread. Succumbing to his curiosity, he reached out to touch them, using only his fingertips. He froze when Eridan stirred, giving Sollux a puzzled look. "G-get yourth'elf changed, buddy," He said, clearing his throat and looking away. "You're th'oaked, I don't want you to catch a cold."

The seadweller's cheeks flushed an attractive shade of violet and he nodded. He didn't move right away, instead lingering with sollux's fingers still ghosting over his skin. They both turned away then, traveling in separate directions to retrieve dry clothing. "Th'o," Sollux began, needing to fill the silence now that an afternoon nap was out of the question. "Back outth'ide… Before you fell, you mentioned a name. Who wath' it you were th'eeing?"

"… Jack," Eridan said after a long, drawn out silence. "It wwas seein' Jack Noir. And his swword."

Dressed now, Sollux sat on the couch and patted his knee, prompting Eridan to come sit in his lap. It took quite a bit of asking, but eventually, the traumatized seadweller told his story. It was a shifty process, one moment he was serious, intense, his voice hushed as he painted a mental picture with his words. Then the next he was crying, unable to control the grief or fear so tightly interweaved with those memories. Three whole sweeps of nothing but sorrow. He nearly brought Sollux to tears.

Then, startling them both, there was a knock at the door.

Eridan immediately looked to Sollux, at loss for what to do. "Go on," The Gemini urged him, prodding him out of his lap. "Th'omeone wantth' to th'ee you."

Tentatively, the seadweller stood, shuffling towards the door. His progress was slow, gripped by terror all over again, and when he finally met the eyes of his visitor he froze, staring ahead with a tortured expression.

"Oh my glub, Eridan," She breathed, covering her mouth as she gaped at who was once the strongest troll she knew. Feferi quickly realized, just as Sollux had, that Eridan wasn't who he used to be.

Now, he was broken. Simply seeing her face tore him up inside, he couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. Without a word he sunk to his knees, hiding his face in his hands, completely ashamed of what he had done. Feferi remained stunned, but when Eridan started to cry, her eyes grew misty as well. "Oh Eridan," She murmured, kneeling beside him. "I'm so sorry…"

She took the sobbing royal into her arms, letting him cry on her shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair. He was overwhelmed, clinging to her and trying to beg for forgiveness, but she would simply shush him and pull him close, telling him everything would be okay. "Leaving you was so shellfish of me," She said softly. "If I had known how much you needed me… if I would have had any idea you were hurting so bad…" She closed her eyes, pink tears rolling down her cheeks. "I really did miss you Eridan!"

They tightened their embrace, both seadwellers crying now as they made up for all those sweeps spent apart. Watching their reunion from the couch, Sollux couldn't help but smile. He was proud of Feferi for giving Eridan a chance. After all he had been through, he deserved it, and quite frankly, Feferi needed someone to care for. It was in her nature, and would give her something to live for herself. Being together again would be good for them booth, that much was easy to see.

When the highbloods finally got tired, Feferi invited Eridan and Sollux to come stay at the palace for the night, but Sollux wouldn't last a minute under the water, and Eridan wasn't quite ready to revisit the sea, so she gave a reluctant wave and said goodbye to Sollux before turning to squeeze Eridan one more time. "Get some rest," She murmured, affectionately rubbing his back. "Take care of yourself."

"I wwill," He promised.

Holding her again felt so good he had to smile. As if to see it better, Feferi laid a hand on his cheek, tilting his face down towards her to smile back. Violet eyes met pink and soft laughter followed, as if nothing at all had changed since they were little. The slowly, closing her eyes, Feferi stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek. Warmth flooded through his whole body and he turned bashfully away, fins flushing purple. "Goodnight, Eridan," She giggled, stepping out of his arms and turning to leave. "Sweet dreams!"

The door closed behind her and Eridan pressed his hand to his face, fins fluttering like butterfly wings. "Swweet dreams," He murmured dreamily.

"You're th'till red for her," Sollux accused. His voice was teasing, but he felt an unusual ache in his chest, like he was desperate to be wrong.

The highblood turned around, letting his hand drop with a sleepy chuckle. "Just pale noww I think," He clarified, smiling. "But yeah."

Sollux relaxed, smiling back and holding out his hand. "Come on lover boy, time to hit the hay."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been brought to my attention that i have a SERIOUS issue with typos. I just wanna point out that I'm really sorry, I'm doing all i can to proofread on my own as I type, because I usually write first on paper THEN type for posting, and usually most of my mistakes are caught there... Omg i guess all I'm sayin is my bad, i hate inconvineincing you guys. :cc and im pretty sure i spelled that very wrong. you get the idea.

In the darkness, his glowing eyes were the only light, but in a way, things were better like that. The dim, flickering colors reflected off the others skin, appearing violet just like his blood. Sollux smiled, bringing him close without touching him, instead wrapping him in a warm blanket of energy, earning a soft chuckle and a kiss on the jaw. The Gemini embraced him, not saying a single word before leaning in. His heart thudded in anticipation as he moved closer still. Then, his lips finally met their destination, or apparently, his pillow.

The burnt out psionic cursed under his breath, rubbing his nearly useless eyes and groping blindly for his glasses. When he obtained them, he was puzzled to find that Eridan was not there. After the dream he had, Sollux expected the seadweller to be curled up in his arms. Grumbling over his rude awakening, he told himself that the dream had been strange anyway. His powers were gone, and his quadrants were empty. The whole thing had been stupid. Wondering where the kid had gotten off to, Sollux picked himself up and prepared to search the hive, but before he could take a step, he heard the door to Eridan's block open.

Instead of the scruffy, unkept troll he had come to expect, Sollux was met with a shocking sight. Eridan had cleaned himself up. It wasn't that Eridan wasn't hygienic, because he was, but he had hardly ever made any efforts towards his appearance since before the game, so Sollux was taken aback. The highblood was freshly scrubbed from head to toe, fully dressed in his special, waterproof, seadweller clothes, and supporting the many golden rings he used to wear. He had even styled his hair, touching up the purple streak that had all but faded away before gelling it to perfection. Sollux swallowed his mouth suddenly dry. He hadn't seen those clothes before. He wore a white collared button up with a purple knit vest, his sign embroidered onto the pocket, and his legs were clad in tight black skinny jeans tucked into neon colored vans. He looked more like a hipster than he ever had, and yet, never better. "Mornin' sol," He said cheerfully, rolling his sleeves up a bit. "Sleep wwell?"

Sollux nodded, narrowing his eyes a bit. "When did you get new clotheth'?"

"Kan made them wwhile she wwas takin' care a me," He explained, shoving his thumbs into his belt loops with a grin. "The jeans fit great."

"They do," Sollux admitted, face flushing yellow. "KN ith' really good."

"Agreed."

The fit him too well. The Gemini found himself staring while he wandered into the kitchen, sniffing curiously. "Wwhats for breakfast?" The highblood asked, snapping the other out of his day dreams. "I'm starvved."

"Wait, you actually  _want_  to eat?"

"I wwoke up to my owwn stomach growwlin' at me," He laughed. "Isnt that wwild?"

"Well, thatth'… Thatth' great!" Sollux stammered, following him into the kitchen. "Yeah, I'll go get you th'omething."

The Gemini rifled through the pantries, floundering around in search of a suitable meal. Sollux himself usually just ate a spoonful or peanut butter or a bowl of cereal for breakfast, but for Eridan that wasn't gonna cut it. For the first time since arriving he realized that he was truly dealing with royalty, a prince, he couldn't serve a prince coco puffs. He was beginning to spaz when a warm hand covered his, guiding it away from the cabinet e had been reaching for. "Wwhy don't you let me cook for you today?" Eridan offered, smiling. "It's the least I can do."

He wanted to say something sweet, something charming, something that would reflect the warmth he felt, but the complete opposite found its way out of his mouth. "Fuck no, you probably can't cook for th'hit, why would a printh'e need to cook?"

Eridan just rolled his eyes, squeezing the lowblood's hand before getting right to work. He pulled out some basic ingredients, washed his hands, and then tied on an apron. "Sit tight," He said, winking. "This wwon't take long."

Sollux stuck out his forked tongue like a one sweep old, but watched the other as he flittered about, skillfully throwing things together into a large white mixing bowl. Soon the lowblood was looking on with affection, hardly paying attention to the others actual actions. Instead Sollux was fixed on exactly  _how_  Eridan did things. It might have been the highblood's royal upbringing, but he moved with speed and grace, neatly preparing the meal with a lighthearted smile on his face. The Gemini let out a dreamy sigh, but was quickly dragged back to reality when a heavenly smell reached his nose.

He looked up, mouth watering was Eridan approached the table with two plates balanced on one arm, and two mugs on the other. "I guess I wwas wwrong," Eridan said sheepishly, setting everything down. "Cookin' took a little longer than I thought. I'm a little rusty."

"ED thith' th'mrllth' amath'ing," Sollux said immediately, snatching up a fork and digging in. Always having supported pretty bad eating habits, breakfast with the lowblood has never been a big event. The plate before him held what was probably the most elaborate meal he had ever eaten. Eridan had set him up with cinnamon pancakes that were so good he forgot to use syrup, a pile of fried potatos, eggs scrambled up with herbs and spices that Sollux could not recall buying. To wash it all down, as if the meal wasn't enough, was a steaming mug of coffee, just how Sollux liked it. Manners were no longer a thing as he filled his stomach, eating like he had never seen food before. "Chrith't what did you  _do_  to thith' food?"

"I cooked it," Eridan laughed, taking a large forkful and chewing it thoughtfully. At first, the seadwellers manners put the others to shame, but when he finally swallowed, he realized just how starving he really was. His eyes got all big and he began to eat faster and faster, almost desperate to numb the gnawing in his gut.

Wiping his mouth, Sollux slowed enough to really watch Eridan, feeling that ache in his chest when he saw how hungry he was. He couldn't help but feel guilty, the seadweller didn't have an ounce of fat on him, it was heart breaking. So after saying a last goodbye to what remained of his feast, he pushed his plate across the table to Eridan, smiling encouragingly when he looked up. "Eat," The Gemini insisted. "You need th'ome extra calorieth' to get your th'trength up."

"But I made it for you."

"I'm already fat," He laughed. "Go ahead."

Hesitantly, Eridan pushed his empty plate to the side and drew sollux's nearer, giving one last questioning glance before taking another large bite, quickly, but neatly consuming the rest of the food. Sollux chuckled, standing to take the dishes. "I'm glad you're feeling better," He said, pausing to run his fingers through the highblood's hair. He earned a nuzzle in return. He never dreamed living with Eridan would be so pleasant. Sure, he was dramatic, high maintenance, and royaly stubborn. Sure, caring for his sickness could be more stressful than pulling teeth from a rabid lusus, but overall, Eridan was actually very sweet.

"Th'o what you all dreth'ed up for?" Sollux finally asked, rinsing off the plates and shoving them in the washer. "Havent th'een you out of your jamieth' in a while."

"Oh," The seadweller shrugged, turning his head. "I'm goin' to go hanf out wwith Fef today."

The plate Sollux held slipped from his hands. "Hang out?"

"Yeah, shes gonna take me back to the wwater today."

"Are you ready for that?" Eridan spoke of it so calmly, after being broken for so long, it was strange for him to speak of social interaction so casually.

"She thinks I am," He sighed, toying with his glasses. "I dunno."

"ED, no offenth'e, but you haven't even left your island in ageth'. Do you really think you're gonna be able to take thith'?"

"I'm gonna try."

"Well yeah, but for you or for her?"

Face flushing violet, Eridan stood from his chair. He moved like he intended to march out of the room, but he stood far too fast and wobbled dangerously, prompting Sollux to rush to his aid, hands still covered in suds.

Just in time to be caught, Eridan collapsed, eyes unfocusing and frantically searching, or perhaps avoiding some apparition he didn't dare seek. He had just gotten a little dizzy, and he had seemed so well, but Sollux was no longer fooled. The seadweller was still sick, dressed up and eating or not. "ED, come on, don't do thith' now," He huffed, awkwardly dragging him to the couch. "Dude, pleath'e look at me! Th'nap out of it…"

Once he had been propped up on some pillows for a while, Eridan squeezed his eyes shut, groaning and shifting beneath the blankets, only waking when Sollux pressed a cool rag to his forehead. He gave the Gemini a pathetic look, his face pale and nearly glowing with a fresh sheen of sweat. "Wwhat happened?" He asked tiredly, an un spoken  _this time_ in his tone.

Sollux gently dabbed at his face with the clothe, wiping it clean of the sticky perspiration. "You fainted again."

He bit his lip, averting his eyes out of embarrassment. "Don't tell Fef about this, okay?" He was so helpless, so dependant, Sollux couldn't help but agree. How could he say no to that face?

With a defeated sigh, the lowblood helped Eridan out of the bed, getting him a fresh cloth and some water. "I'm th'orry, okay?" He said, resting his hand on the others shoulder. "I didn't mean to get you all worked up over nothing. I'm just worried about you."

"I'm fine," He mumbled, rubbing the wet rag against his gills. "I just… got a little wwoozy, that's all."

Eridan could tell Sollux didn't buy it. Not for a second, the lowblood had seen to many of his episodes take place. "You were haluth'inating, weren't you?"

He was right of course, but what Eridan saw had been too unsettling to reveal. When he had gotten upset, it was like suddenly all of the blood had drained from his body. Since the end of the game, Eridan had been catching glimpses of jack noir, just like he used to. He usually wrote them off as particularly vivid hallucinations. But this time, there was no denying that the monster still had a hold on Eridan's mind, and was out for revenge. His image was getting stronger, constantly changing forms. Eridan was terrified to the point of nausea. It took him a while to shake it off, but eventually, he nodded. "Don't tell Fef," He repeated.

Sollux reluctantly agreed, and shortly after, Feferi arrived to collect her moiral. Though Eridan was nervous, he had been looking forward to his reunion with the sea. He hadn't gotten to really swim in sweeps, and he longed to feel that cool salt water rushing through his gills. For a long while, he and the princess stood on the edge of the sand, right where it met the open ocean. Falling in could mean death for an untrained landweller, one more step and they'd be submerged. "Haven't you missed this?" Feferi bubbled, letting the misty air blow back her damp curls. "How did you stay away?"

"It wwasnt easy," He admitted, staring out into his seemingly endless kingdom. He was still a royal after all, his heart would always ache for it, even if he was afraid.

Feferi would tell, she could always tell. She took his hand. "It's still yours, you know," She whispered. "It will always be yours, just as much as it is mine."

Eridan wanted to believe it. He wanted it so bad. In his youth he had been so proud, smug even about his royal status, but he gradually began to fear the title had been revoked as a result of all his careless mistakes. Feferi, as future empress, was the only one of his peers with the power to do such a thing, and as an unspoken result of her murder, she did. But now, she was giving it back to him. All he had to do was dive. "Are you ready?" She asked.

He squeezed her hand tight, their fingers intertwining. Before he could bring himself to back down, he nodded sharply and dove deep down into the water, taking a deep breath through the gills. In seconds he felt cool, tingly and full of life, a feeling only the ocean could bring. It was a feeling that completely numbed his fear and made him grin like a fool. Fins fluttering excitedly he took off, torpedoing through the raves and riding every current. Schools of fish circled around him, as did larger lusi and even a grub or two, all curious in the return of their formerly lost prince. Though Feferi kept her watchful eyes on him, Eridan swam freely, refamiliarizing himself with every plant, pebble and creature. He hadn't felt so alive in sweeps.

After quite a while of aimless wondering, Feferi giggled and moved to take her moiral's arm. "Come on you silly glub," She urged. "I want to take you somewhere special."

The giddy excitement pulsing through him faded when they reached their destination. It was a beautiful place, underwater hills overflowing with color and life. The reef brought forth hundreds of flowers and corals, each brighter than the last as they led up to the fairy tale palace where Feferi lived, far off into the distance. Nestled deep in the coral walls, was the grotto, hidden by a large slab of rock. IT had been a long time since he had last seen that cave, and during his last visit, he had his heart broken. Even Feferi fell silent, giving him space again as he approached large stone door. He swallowed hard, moving the obstruction out of the way with a shaky push. He slowly entered the underwater cavern, feeling knots of emotion forming in his stomach. Everything was just as he left it, beautiful, sparkling as if it was all brand new.

Pulling out the stool beside it, Eridan sat down to his favorite harp, feeling tears sting in his eyes before simply diffusing into the water around him. He took a deep breath to steady himself, and then he was playing. The urge hit him out of nowhere, and he didn't even have any music to read, but though it hurt he strummed and plucked at the strings from memory, filling the space with sound. Every note seemed to resonate straight from his heart.

Gradually as he continued, seadwellers gathered at the mouth of the cave with their empress to be, watching, awestruck, as the returned prince performed. He was so into the music he didn't even notice the crowd until he played his last cord, and they all began to cheer. They applauded just as they had when he was little, and when he looked up, Eridan realized he recognized most of their faces. Before he could tear up at the warm response, Feferi swam up beside him and took his hands, positioning them back at the strings. This time while Eridan played, Feferi sang along. It wasn't long before the whole crowd had joined in with instruments of their own, or more voices to harmonize with Feferi's.

It didn't take long for the musical reunion to turn into a full blown celebration. In Eridan's honor, seadwellers brought food, drinks, and decorations for the little cave. It was a party truly worthy of a prince. The festivities lasted long into the night, the harsh Alternian sunlight streaming down in ripples through the water, gracing the reef with a lively glow. It wasn't until their underwater drinking game went hilariously wrong that they finally decided it was time to disperse. Touched, spirited and a small bit tipsy, Eridan promised to return soon, then put on his protective shades, swimming up to the surface. "You spoke wwith them, didn't you?" Eridan accused. "Theres no wway they all came on their owwn."

"I informed them of your condition and told them to play nice, yes, but that's where my interference ended." She smiled, laying her hand on his shoulder. "They came because they still love you, just like I do."

He yanked her into a tight embrace, pressing his cheek against hers. "I lovve ya too, Fef," He said, voice thick with gratitude. "So much."

The heiress giggled, squeezing him back for a long time before detangling him from her body, and playfully splashing him in the face. "Okay, okay, don't get too sappy on me now! You need some rest before you get any sillier!"

Obnoxious laughter ringing out into the silent, yet bright Alternian night, Eridan leaned forward and pressed a sloppy goodnight kiss to his moiral's cheek before paddling back to shore, the harsh sunlight making his gray skin glitter as he hoisted himself onto the warm, dry sand. He soaked in the warmth for a moment, his specially made clothes drying quickly. But even in his drunken state he knew better than to overestimate his shades and their ability to protect his eyes.

Shaking the droplets out of his hair, he rushed back inside and stripped down to his black, silk boxers, climbing in bed beside a blanket covered mound that he assumed to be Sollux. Eridan was surprised to see him stir.

Though he hadn't been asleep when Eridan entered, Sollux had chosen to remain still. He hadn't been watching the prince strip exactly, even a stronger troll wouldn't have been able to resist admiring his slim frame, but what the lowblood was really curious about, was his friends elevated mood.

"You up, Sol?" He heard the highblood whisper.

Slowly, Sollux turned and faced the other, but he didn't open his eyes. The last time Eridan saw his disabled eyes, he wound up crying, and Sollux didn't want that. "Yeah, I'm up."

As if reading his mind Eridan slid the multicolored shades over the others eyes, and when they opened, the mage was surprised to be met with a goofy grin. "Hi, Sol!" He bubbled.

Sollux raised his brows. "ED, are you drunk?"

"Dunno," He snickered. "I drank just a little…"

"Dude, you're bone thin, you hardly eat, any alcohol you drink'th gonna go th'traight to your head."

"I did eat though!" He insisted. "I wwas eatin all night!"

Sollux frowned, puzzled. "What were you and FF doing, exactly?"

"Sol I'm so glad you asked, it wwas so amazin'!" He gushed. "She took me back to an old cavern I used ta play music in an wwhen I started playin', evveryone came round and wwe all started partyin' and-"

"Whoa, hold on," Sollux interrupted, stunned. "I didn't know you were muth'ical."

The seadweller flushed violet. "Yeah," He admitted. "I havve been since I wwas a real little guy."

Sollux closed his eyes again as Eridan raved on and tried to picture him as a tiny little kid sitting at an instrument twice his size. He had to admit it made his heart squeeze. Though the image was cute, he couldn't hide his frown as he listened to Eridan describing his underwater kingdom and the wonders it held. As hard as Sollux had tried, he couldn't get Eridan to eat a single bite on his own, but when Feferi returned to their lives, suddenly, his appetite did as well. Of course Sollux was glad for the change, but he couldn't help but feel jealous. He never accomplished such a feat, he couldn't even swim, what if Eridan moved underwater? Sollux would be all alone again.

 _You were fine on your own,_  He told himself bitterly.  _Get over it, he's above you._  But he just couldn't shake the gloom. Deciding he didn't want to hear anymore, he cut Eridan off mid sentence, said goodnight, and went to sleep, only to wake alone the next morning to the smell of fresh eggs. When he opened his eyes his shades were gone, and the room was dark, but out of the corner of his eye he could see the stove light dimly illuminating the kitchen. Groaning, he rolled out of bed in his boxers, shoved his shades over his eyes and padded into the dining room, the source of the smell. "ED you need to th'top getting up th'o fucking early!" He yelled towards the kitchen. "You'll never fucking heal thith' way!"

There was no answer, and he frowned. "ED?"

When he again heard nothing, he advanced towards the table, seeing a small, neatly folded note with his name on it besides a plate piled with eggs and bacon.

 _Wwent back to the palace to dine wwith the nobels,_  It read.  _Might perform for them, and wwho knows, maybe party some more. I made you breakfast though; I hope it's not cold! I'll see you soon._

_~Eridan_

Sollux picked up the plate, narrowing his eyes at the steaming food. It was still piping hot, freshly cooked. Eridan couldn't have been gone for more than five minutes, ten at the most. Sollux had just missed him. "Fuck," He muttered, dropping the plate and letting it clatter loudly. Alone again. He knew it was unfair, but he felt so rejected. Sulking really, he dug his keys out of a junk drawer in hopes of finding peace of mind back at his own hive. Yet, all he found there was nothing.

He was bored, sitting there for hours without a thing to do, while Eridan was again getting the royal treatment his blood entitled him too. But when he returned home with another buzz, his hive was empty and Sollux was nowhere to be found. Assuming the landweller went to the store or something, Eridan shrugged it off, grabbed one of his new novels and curled up on the couch to read. As always he sank deep into the pages until he lost track of time. He ate through chapters and chapters until finally, when the sun was climbing high in the sky, he was snoring.

Traces of alcohol keeping him deeply sedated, he didn't wake for a very long time, but the sleep was not a silent one. Without Sollux or slime, memories and illusions drifted freely through his subconscious, ones he hadn't thought about in a long time.


	11. Chapter 11

Before the land of wrath and angels, endless tasks had managed to hold Eridan's depression at bay. He always had something to do, some puzzle to solve, or a threat to demolish. What he faced in that moment, though, wasn’t like installing a new device. Failure wouldn’t simply result in a smashed wall or a misplaced bathtub. Failure on this mission could cost his client player her life. “Nep, you’vve gotta leavve your hivve,” He barked into his headset, deflecting falling rubble with his computer mouse. “Its crumblin’!”  
“ _Ampurra_ I can’t just scampurr away and abandon my drawings,” The leo cried, darting about the rapidly collapsing cave and chasing after sheets of paper. “There’s no telling when I’ll be able to ship again!”  
“There are imps wwith fuckin’ pick axes hackin’ at your roof!” He snapped, zooming out to see even more of her surroundings. The imps were re-spawning faster than he could throw things at them, and with Nepeta in danger, he couldn’t fend them all off. “Get the drawwin’s and MOVVE!”  
Stuffing the last few sheets in her mouth, the olive blood leaped out of the cave on all fours, running faster than she ever could on two. Just as the entrance to her home shuddered and collapsed, she skidded to a stop, barely a meter away. She blinked, and Eridan nearly relaxed, but then he noticed a dark shadow looming over the tiny girl. He snatched up his mouse. “Nepeta, RUN!”  
Alarmed again by his shouting, she bolted quickly to the right just as a giant ogre of an imp smashed a club to the ground where she had been poised seconds before. Eridan picked up anything he could, rubble, furniture, other imps, whatever could cause damage. It wasn’t making a dent in the creatures health, not by a long shot, but the projectile objects were enough to distract him while Nepeta pounced from behind, attacking with her claws. Though he tried to keep his eyes on the imp, his focus kept flickering to the tiny ball of fury flitting across his screen. Nepeta was a cute one, sweet and affectionate, everyone could see that, but he had a feeling that not many trolls got to see her in hunting mode and live to tell the tail. It was quite a display, easily capturing the war loving highblood’s attention. In the heat of battle, Nepeta’s cute face gave way to passionate, radiating beauty. His sickle heart skipped a beat, and he was disappointed when the defeated, despite the abundance of grist and shale they earned.  
She cheerfully collected the rewards, purring contently as she frolicked around in the rubble. He had to laugh as the way she showed no sign of exertion or strain. “Hey uh, Nep,” He said as she finished her plunder. “Did ya fetch all your drawwin’s?”  
She pulled up her modis, showing all of the paper safely stored. “My ships are all afloat!” She confirmed.  
“Shippin’, huh?” He missed, absently messing with his headset. “Maybe could I help out wwith some of that?”  
“Oh, you like shipping too?” She asked, delighted. “How purrfect fur a seadweller!”  
“I had… one ship in mind.”  
“Whats that?”  
“Maybe… you an’ me?” He offered, suddenly bashful. “As somethin’… I dunno, reddish?”  
He could tell she tried not to, but she scrunched up her face a little, tail flicking absently behind her. “Purrhaps shipping is… not a fishy thing after all,” She mumbled. “Maybe you should stick to swimming instead?”  
Rejected. The sour part of the memory changed then, and instead of communicating through the game, he was now standing before her, face to face. He found himself repeating his proposal, as if someone had pressed rewind. “Maybe… you an’ me?” He offered again. “As somethin’… I dunno, reddish?”  
Instead of scrunching up her face, she outright sneered, sticking her tongue out in disgust. “Ampurra, ew,” She groaned. “You’re so  _creepy,_ why would I EFUR fill a quadrant with  _you?”_  
He blushed darkly, frowning at the blatant insult. “Wwell a simple no thanks wwould havve sufficed,” He said, tone sad and hurt. “I don’t see wwhy ya had ta be so mean.”  
“You don’t know  _mean,”_  She growled, crouching down and extending her claws. “You’re  _mean,_  how do you lay down your head at night knowing just how  _mean_  you are?”  
He backed up a little, the evil glint in her eyes completely foreign on her face. “N-Nep, calm down.”  
“Calm?” She shrieked, image warping into something dark and unnatural. Only her voice remained untouched. “I’ll be calm when  _your blood_  covers my walls!”  
With a wicked snarl she pounced, electing a scream of terror from the seadweller that rang clear through not only the dream, but reality as well. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his hive, drenched in sweat and all alone. “Oh god,” He panted, chest rising and falling with each ragged breath. “Dream, bad dream, oh god…”  
He was trembling, almost sure he was going to be sick. What an awful version of an already painful memory. He fumbled blindly in the dark, searching for the warmth of his companion, but he was nowhere to be found. Tears poured down his face and he ran from his hive, too terrified to be alone.  
The troll he was seeking had finally decided to move, in search of a positive outlet for his negative energy. He got caught up on his coding, cared for his bees and even harvested some mind honey, but through every mindless task he found himself thinking of only Eridan. Sollux wanted to know how his performance went, he longed to hear him play, but most of all he was agonizing over what it would be like if the highblood returned to the sea for good. The thought made his damaged eyes sting, and he swore that even if his prince healed and left him, he would do anything in his power to keep the goofy ass fish happy and healthy. Before he could lose his cool one of his bees came along and buzzed in his ear, no doubt seeking attention from its ever absent master. “Now what do you want?” He snapped, throat tight. When the bug landed on his shoulder, the Gemini slapped it away. It was sticky with honey, useless mind honey.  
      The bee hovered nearer and Sollux sighed, taking it into his hand and stroking its delicate body with one finger. “You’re right little guy,” He mumbled. “Not totally uth’eleth’”  
Be buzzing contently in his palm, Sollux strode over to the kitchen with a couple of jars of mind honey and a psionic recipe book. The instructions to make a miracle protein serum were pretty complicated, and practically impossible to memorize. Eating mind honey could have a growth effect if enough of it was consumed, but the extreme, maddening side effects just weren’t worth it. It was those side effects that forced him to keep Biclops chained up, and allowed Vriska to control him before the game.  
He felt an ache at the memory, and though he hadn’t been in control at the time, he shouldered all of the guilt. Swallowing hard, he made a mental note to pay Aradia a visit sometime soon.  
Sollux mulled over the past as he brewed the serum. He quickly realized that Eridan hadn’t been the only troll to become isolated from the others. In fact, almost everyone had drifted apart. Only those in solid quadrants really spent any length of time together, and there were very few pairs like that left. He absently wondered how everyone was going to fair when the drones came around. Anyone over ten would be a target. Of course, no one Sollux knew had a wriggling day coming up, but he could see everyone pairing up before someone did. It was worrying him a little, when it came to collecting buckets, the drones didn’t mess around. “Fuck,” He muttered, his entire train of thought derailing as he scrambled to lower the heat on his stove. His serum was reacting pretty strangely.  
Grumbling under his breath, Sollux reread the recipe, frown lines deepening across his brow. He had done everything correctly, he used all the right ingredients, he even heated it to the correct, unreasonably high temperature. He stood there and reread the page over and over until it finally hit him. He wasn’t supposed to heat the serum with open flame or electricity; the energy took too long to transfer and resulted in a destructive chemical reaction. With a roar of frustration, Sollux knocked the unfinished potion across the kitchen, not even flinching when it splattered all over the walls.  
Psionics were the answer, the footnote explained that to correctly form, the serum had to be heated by psionic energy. Naturally, the one thing Sollux could do to actually help, required a gift he no longer had.  
Thrashing through his hive, furious and filled with rage, he nearly punched a hole in his door, but just before he could take a swing there was a desperate knock that sounded so familiar, he stopped dead in his tracks. Anger dissolved, he yanked the door open to see none other than the prince of hope, wrapped tight in a cape and violently shivering. His eyes were wide, frightened, and puffy around the edges. The poor thing was scared to death, and he had obviously run the entire way there. Sollux cleared his throat, finding it hard to speak past the giant lump forming there.  
“Wwhy didn’t ya come back?” Eridan finally asked. “I… I got scared.”  
“I had th’ome thingth’ to do,” He mumbled feebly. “Why didn’t you juth’t call FF or th’omething?”  
“I almost thought that… that you wwerent comin’ home.”  
The ache in the lowblood’s chest returned, he could hardly breathe he was fighting so hard to keep his cool. When he didn’t answer, Eridan's lower lip trembled, his voice lowering to a whisper. “You wweren’t gonna… wwere you?”  
“I thought you didn’t need me, okay?” Sollux cried, yellow tears finally pouring down his face. “No matter how hard I tried to take care of you, nothing fucking worked until FF th’howed up! You needed  _her_ , you ate for  _her,_  you smiled for  _her!_ You… you never needed  _me!”_  
Instead of being upset by the outburst, Eridan just took the Gemini’s hands. “Sol I'm always gonna need ya,” He said. “I doesn’t matter if I'm starvvin’ or strong, if ya wweren’t around ta keep me going… I know I’d just givve up again.”  
Sollux’s heart throbbed in his chest and he released Eridan's hands, but before he could make another move, Eridan winced, taking it as a rejection. “I… I said too much.”  
“You th’aid juth’t enough.” Cupping the seadwellers face in both hands, Sollux leaned down just as Eridan rose up, their lips locking together in a tender, loving kiss. The two were still for a spell, shivering back to life at the feeling of electricity rushing through their veins. Heart pumping, Sollux pulled away, looking down into the others eyes and stroking his face with his thumb. The expression Eridan held was enchanting, like he was waking from a beautiful dream to find that it had all come true. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, his face breaking into a breath taking grin. He was beaming, and Sollux beamed back, grabbing two fistfuls of the seadwellers shirt and pulling him into another kiss. The second one was just as electric, just as passionate, but even sweeter. Neither of them could stop smiling long enough to keep their mouths together for long.  
The lowblood was giddy, silly even as he backed into the hive, pulling the other in with him. Eridan kicked the door shut and before they knew it, they lost their footing and tumbled backwards onto the couch. Sollux was sarting to get a little dizzy, he kept forgetting to breath, focused more on how well Eridan kissed. Desperate for another taste, Sollux leaned in again, but instead of what he sought, his lips met with Eridan's nose, a soft giggle making his chest flutter and fill with butterflies. “Little eager there, Sol?” The prince chuckled. “I think ya missed your target.”  
He lightly presses a finger to his own lips, as if showing Sollux the way. It was probably just to get a rise from the Gemini, and it worked. “Are you flirting with me, Ampora?”  
“Maybe,” He shrugged, another smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “That depends.”  
“On what?”  
“On you,” He whispered, moving the finger from his lips, to Sollux’s.  
The Gemini took Eridan's hand in both of his. “Well whatever it wath’,” He murmured. “It’th making it really hard for me to not be in love with you.”  
“Then stop fightin’ it.”  
“Never th’tarted.” Rolling onto his side, he pulled the highblood to his chest. “Ever th’ince you th’toped your crying juth’t to laugh at my th’wimming, I knew I wath’ in love with you.”  
Eridan laughed just like he had that day. “I wwasn’t laughin’ at your swwimmin’, Sol,” He said. “I wwas just surprised you bothered.”  
“Why would that th’uprith’e you?”  
He blushed, lowering his gaze. “Because no one I lovve had evver lovved me back.”  
“Well, I love you,” Sollux said.

“I lovve you, too Sol,” He whispered.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning Sollux woke up to kisses. As a general rule, the Gemini hated waking up, but when he heard a playful giggle and felt soft lips at his neck, he had to grin, even before opening his eyes. When he finally did open them, he took a moment to blink in confusion. His view of the seadweller was clear, crystal clear, not blurred like Sollux was used to. Initially, the sight took his breath away, but after a moment’s thought he looked into the others eyes, catching his reflection in their depths.  
They gasped at the same moment, a shower of red and blue sparks briefly illuminating the room. “S-sol, your eyes!” Eridan cried, fumbling to get his hipster glasses on. “They’re glowwin’!”  
Sitting up, Sollux lifted his hands, staring at them as they were enveloped in orbs ad red and blue energy. Experimentally, he extinguished the light, then brought it back, astounded that they obeyed his will. “They’re back,” He breathed. “My pth’ionic’th are back!”  
For nearly an hour he toyed with his powers, testing their strength. It was like learning to walk again, exercising muscles he hadn’t used for sweeps. Though it was strenuous work and he quickly tired, he found that his powers worked well enough to do most simple tasks, including impress a new matesprit.  
Since they worked through breakfast, both trolls were starving by lunch, prompting Eridan to create the most elaborate sandwiches Sollux had ever seen. “I’vve nevver noticed before,” The prince began, smiling as he sliced up meat and cheese. “But your eyes are pretty charmin’ wwhen they light up the dark like that.”  
“Yeah?” Sollux smirked, arms snaking around Eridan's middle. “Well you look pretty cute making me a th’andwich like thith’.”  
Laughing at the blush that crept up the seadwellers neck, Sollux winked, returning to the table with his food.  
After eating the two returned to the island together, hand in hand and flirting the whole way. Once the walls had gone down, Sollux found it impossible to keep his affections to himself. Having a matespritship with Eridan was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and to keep himself busy when the seadweller spent time under the waves, he would exercise his powers. Doing this was exhausting, it took time and focus and yet every afternoon he had a new light show planed for when his love came home. It became a daily thing and both trolls grew stronger in their own ways, but with Eridan, the changes were a lot more drastic.  
Sollux first noticed the difference one evening when Eridan returned from the sea. He had accidentally worn one of Sollux’s tee shirts in a rush to get out the door, and as a landweller, the lowblood’s clothes had no special qualities. After a day in the ocean, it remained soaking wet. Eridan had laughed at the silly mistake, ad Sollux grinned, unable to ignore the way the wet fabric clung to the other’s body. “Damn,” He commented, approaching. “Look at you.”  
“Yeah, I'm soaked.”  
The Gemini’s finger tips lingered at the hem of the shirt, feeling how saturated it was before looking up at the seadwellers entire body. “It workth’ for you,” He murmured.  
Heart beating a little quicker, Sollux caught the fabric in his hand and lifted it just a little, baring a sliver of damp, gray skin. It was almost like a completely different body. The last time Sollux had seen his bare frame, his bones had strained against his pale skin, he had been bruised and cold to the touch. Now, Sollux could see the beginnings of muscles forming at his abdomen, the slim, compact muscles that swimmers were so well known for. Feeling a blend of pride and excitement, the psionic gently touched the others stomach, suddenly unable to resist.  
His skin was slick and smooth, just as Sollux expected it to be, but when he closed his eyes to let his sense of touch take over, something bumpy caught his attention. Circling around his entire middle were thick, lumpy scars from where he had been hacked in two and sewn back together. Even more fascinated than the first time he had seen them, Sollux leaned down closer, amazed by the intricate detail the stitches held. It must have taken such skill to patch such a gory wound.  
“It doesn’t hurt,” Eridan whispered, biting his lip. “Not anymore, Kan fixed me up really wwell.”  
Sollux looked up, straightening a little. He didn’t move his hand. There was something about the way Eridan went taut at his touch, something about the quiver in his voice that made sollux’s heart start pumping. Eyes glowing with excitement, he pulled Eridan into a kiss, feeling that same dizziness that always hit him at moments like those. Just being able to taste him had delighted Sollux, but then, he felt something more. He wanted more.  
Listening to the sound of his own heart, he broke off just long enough to pull the wet clothing away from Eridan's body, stripping him down to his briefs in an instant. “Sol,” He gasped, the urgency in Sollux’s movements hitting him out of the blue. “Wwha… wwhat are ya-“  
“No more talking,” The Gemini mumbled between kisses. “I want you.”  
Any response Eridan might have muttered was cut off and absorbed by Sollux’s mouth as they stumbled backwards onto the couch. With the highblood beneath him, he shed his own shirt, tossing it aside before diving down for another kiss.  
Still slightly rattled by the sudden turn of events, Eridan was trying helplessly to keep up, but it was hard to kiss back when every time he felt the heat of Sollux’s mouth, it was gone just as quickly as it came. Eventually he just couldn’t take it and he grabbed Sollux by the horns, stroking them lightly until the psionic was calm and still. Smiling affectionately, Eridan reached up to kiss him slowly, movements gentle and sweet. A pleasant change from just seconds before, and all it took to hypnotize Sollux all over again.  
Eridan's lips were so soft, he thought dreamily. Everything about him made Sollux dizzy for more. “Th’tay th’till,” he whispered, making the highblood’s heart jump. “I want to try th’omething.”  
Laying his hand gently over Eridan's, he removed his glasses so their eyes could meet. “I love you.”  
“I lovve you, too.”  
Their lips met again, and then, Sollux was moving. With his free hand he began slowly rubbing along the seadwellers inner thigh, making the blushing prince gasp and shiver, trying not to squirm. Gently, Sollux pressed his groin against Eridan, thrilled by the rush of pleasure he felt. “Move with me,” He murmured against the other’s mouth. “It feelth’ amath’ing…”  
Eridan lifted his hips, making a short, breathless sound that sent shivers dancing across the Gemini’s body, enticing him to continue. After the kiss was broken, leftover clothing was shed, lips and fingertips met bare skin and new area’s were explored. Sollux wasn’t self conscious as he thought he’d be, he didn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed of his body, not with Eridan. Even though he doubted he would ever compare to that perfect seadweller build, he knew Eridan would over look his flaws and oddities out of love. So when Eridan's gaze traveled over him, all of him, he simply smiled and winked. “What,” He teased. “No commentth’?”  
“S-so it’s true, then,” The highblood stammered, face flushing an attractive shade of violet. “You havve…”  
Sollux chuckled, just a tad bashful. “Two bulgeth’, yeah.”  
Eridan swallowed hard, head swimming with the new information about his matesprit. He felt his heart sputtering in his chest and he squeezed the others hand, a little nervous. It didn’t go unnoticed.  
“We’ll th’tart with one,” Sollux promised. “And I’ll be gentle, but if it th’till hurtth’, you tell me, go that?”  
He gave a slight nod and Sollux did too, taking a deep breath to steady himself before hooking Eridan’s thigh over his hip, positioning one bulge at his lover’s nook. The prince reached up to stroke Sollux's cheek. “I'm ready, sol.”  
With a shiver of anticipation, Sollux pushed slowly inside, feeling a rush of dizziness as he was engulfed in an impossibly tight cavern of heat. He nearly moaned, fighting the urge to start thrusting right away. The main thing that stopped him was the muffled grunt coming from beneath him. Eridan had squeezed his eyes shut and bitten his bottom lip, expression pained as his untouched insides were suddenly filled. “J-just givve me a second,” He huffed, not meeting Sollux’s eyes as a purple tear formed on his lashes.  
Eager, but more worried than anything else, Sollux remained patiently still for about three minutes, agonizing while Eridan adjusted. He was taking so long that Sollux was startled when he suddenly felt a rush of pleasure coming from his formerly unoccupied bulge. “Crith’t,” He yelped, body giving an involuntary jerk as he felt the pad of Eridan’s thumb rubbing circles over his tip. “Oh Eridan, I…”  
“I wwant you to feel good,” The seadweller said timidly, feeling guilty for making Sollux wait on his fragile body.  
“Y-you… you don’t have to do that, you know,” Sollux panted.  
“But I wwant to.”  
So Eridan continued, petting and stroking his matesprit for a bit until finally tapping him on the butt, grinning when their eyes met. “Now?” Sollux asked, excited. Eridan didn’t even have to respond, he just kept smiling until Sollux’s mouth over his made it impossible, and they began moving together once more. At first it was hard to keep up, under the Gemini’s weight it was a challenge to meet every thrust, but then Eridan felt a warm tingle coat every square inch of his skin. He opened his eyes to see a faint glowing around his body, flashing blue and red. Sollux was helping him. Feeling light as a feather, the highblood eagerly pushed upwards, working up a steady pace with his lover.  
“Lift up your hipth’,” Sollux whispered, smirking.  
When Eridan did as he was told, he gasped, tightening his grip on the others hand and moaning as Sollux’s second bulge squeezed in alongside the first. This addition didn’t hurt, not in the least, and when they started rocking again, the Aquarius found himself unable to keep quiet. “A-a-ahh,” He panted, voice quivering in pleasure. “Sol, Sol yes…”  
pushing into that tight space sent Sollux into a fog of bliss, and before he knew it he was calling out Eridan’s name as well. He thanked his lucky stars that night for the tiny, isolated island where the seadweller lived, even as their voices slipped out of their control they had no fear of being heardl It wasn’t long at all before the prince was shuddering, crying out with every thrust and clenching up his muscles to be somehow even tighter. “Sol!” He yelped, legs wrapped around his matesprit’s waist. “I... I can’t… Ahh!”  
Eridan's grip on Sollux’s hand became vice like, yet trembling as he rode out his orgasm, and soon Sollux was groaning as well, squeezing back as he joined the highblood in his climax. When it was all finally over, the psionic slipped himself out of his lover’s body, both of them shivering from oversensitivity. He had never felt so satisfied in his entire life. Almost drunk with happiness, Sollux pulled Eridan against his chest, running his fingers through those soft, purple bangs. Large eyes of that very same color peered up at him, blinking lazily and harboring all of the love in the world. “Totally fluth’hed for you,” Sollux murmured affectionately.  
“I'm flushed for you, too.”  
The Gemini smiled, leaning in to press a kiss to Eridan’s cheek, feeling the soft skin there warm at his touch. It was such a relief to see how significantly he had filled out, life and health enriching his once hollow face. The seadweller had come such a long way since then, physically and emotionally. “You better know I love you,” Sollux teased, tapping his nose.  
“I do,” He chuckled softly, closing his eyes and snuggling against Sollux’s chest.  
Grinning, the lowblood tickled Eridan's skinny little waist. “Do you?” He challenged. “Do you really? Cauth’e you’re hiding from me like you don’t!”  
A sudden kiss to his neck startled the smirk right off his face, making a chill rush down his spin. “Howw could I not believve it after you made lovve to me like that?” Eridan whispered, his breath warming Sollux’s perked ears. “I’vve nevver felt so amazin’ in all my life.”  
When Sollux didn’t answer, the Aquarius smirked. “You better knoww I lovve ya.”  
Sollux laughed breathlessly, pulling Eridan into a light hearted bear hug. “Up yourth’.”


	13. Chapter 13

The next day, Sollux called Aradia. Eridan was at the palace catching up on royal matters, so Sollux thought he may as well catch up with his old friend. They hadn't talked since their return to Alternia, and he had to admit he was nervous. He knew from some of the others that she was okay; she had no visible scarring and was as alive as can be. For that the Gemini was grateful, but he wanted to see her for himself. He wanted to hear her say it.  
  
The peasant blood's phone rang four times before she finally picked up, hesitating a moment before peaking. Her voice was light and distant. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey AA," He began, a bit awkwardly. "Whatth' up?"  
  
"I'm doing fine, thank you," She said, huffing. There was a lot of noise in the back ground.  
  
Sollux scratched the back of his neck, sure he was in trouble. "Lith'ten, I'm really th'orry I didn't reach out th'ooner. I meant to, really I did."  
  
"How kind of you," She murmured, sounding distracted. "I hope the trouble was no fault of mine."  
  
"I know you're mad, okay? I juth't wanna make it up to you, maybe can we meet th'omewhere? I mith' you."  
  
"In person, hm? How tempting." He could have just been hopeful, but he was almost sure she laughed. "Alright Sollux. You know where my hive is, I'll see you soon."  
  
Sollux opened his mouth, but she hung up before he could say goodbye. He was worried, before and all through the game Aradia went through many personality changes, shifting through various levels of being alive. Who was he going to find when he met with her? Would she be dead, robotic, or optimistic like she had been as a god tier? Sollux had spent endless time with that Aradia when he was blind, he adored her, and yet, she was not the Aradia he hoped to see. The Aradia he missed was Aradia A-1, the very first. Alive, sweet, and breezy, just like before playing the game. As he dressed, he wondered if the voices in her head had silenced like his own had. Having a peaceful mind could do wonders, had fate given her that gift? The desire to simple know drove him faster to the pier. The boats relentless rocking did nothing to bother him, he was used to it by then. Still, he was relieved to make it to the dock.  
  
He quickly tied the boat down and mounted his bike, sending sand flying as he rode across the boardwalk and towards the road. It was late afternoon when he reached Aradia's hive, and when he parked to take a look around, he frowned, not seeing the rust blood anywhere. "Hey, AA," He called, wandering the grounds and avoiding trenches as he went. There were holes and craters dug out all over her yard. This wasn't unusual, before the game she had quite an interest in archaeology, encouraging her to turn up every bit of dirt she encountered, hoping to make some great discovery one day. He wistfully examined the piles of dirt, remembering the countless times she had begged him to help her look. He smiled, at five and six sweeps old, little adventures like that had meant everything to them. He was about to shout again when the sound of crumbling rubble caught his attention.  
  
Sollux whipped around just in time to see a rock heap explode, a cloud of dust veiling a very familiar silhouette. "Hello, Sollux," She said, smiling as she stepped away from the wreckage, brushing debris off of her tattered skirt. "Thank you for waiting."  
  
Laughing as relief washed over him, the psionic rushed to her side and lifted her by the waist, spinning her around in a circle and pulling her into a bear hug. One look at her and he knew, she was the Aradia he knew and loved. "You've changed," She noted, amused as she was set down. "You've changed much."  
  
"You haven't, not one bit!"  
  
Aradia gathered her long, dark hair, then let it tumble down her back as she took in the sight of her old matesprit. "I'm doing well," She admitted, grinning. "I've missed you, but I'm defiantly not uninformed on your recent indulgencies. "  
  
Sollux raised a brow and she giggled. "You've turned over a new leaf with Eridan?"  
  
From then on Sollux told Aradia everything. He had almost forgotten how easy she was to talk to. As they shared stories he realized that she wasn't really angry with him, she had just missed him. He promised he'd make it up to her, after all, they still cared a lot for each other. The two spent a good long time laughing over the impossibilities that had befallen their group over the past three sweeps. "You've missed out on some very interesting happenings, hiding on that little island," She chided him, sipping on some freshly brewed tea. "The humans are putting some strange new ideas into the heads of our kind."  
  
"Yeah, it'th' pretty th'ecluded out there," It'th' uth'ually juth't me and Ed, we don't th'ee much of the land dwellers."  
  
"Oh you will today."  
  
"Will we now?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Pressing for more information was useless, all Aradia could do was smile, urge him to return home and offer him tea to go. "You're a peth't," Sollux teased, but in the end, he left with two foam cups full of hot tea.  
  
"Hey, ED," He called once home. He frowned as he set down the cups. All of the lights were off, and there was no reply, but before he could shout again he was impacted from behind, a hand clamping tight over his mouth.  
  
"Stop your carping, you big goober!" Hissed a familiar voice. "Before your glubbing wakes him up!"  
  
"Chrith't FF," He huffed, squirming. "Could have fucking killed me!"  
  
"Sorry!"  
  
Sollux sighed, thanking the lord that he had set the tea down before shouting. He moved to retrieve a cup, finding one missing. He frowned, starting at the cup as if he expected it to somehow produce its twin, when an elegant gray hand slipped into his field of vision to snatch the cup away. Expecting Feferi, he did a double take when it was Kanaya who winked at him, holding both servings of tea. "KN?" He asked, frown deepening. Ever since regaining his vision, Sollux's surroundings had grown less and less predictable. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to return this to Mr. Ampora," She said, pulling out Eridan's white wand. It was fully mended and adorned with a curly purple ribbon, as if being given as a gift. "Thank you for leaving the boat so neatly docked."  
  
"I had to lug it back, though," Feferi said. "So the others could get out here. And you too!"  
  
It just dawned on him that he could have simply flown across the ocean. He shook his head, disregarding that. "Hold on a second, otherth'?"  
  
"Oh yes, did no one tell you?" Kanaya asked, shooting Feferi an accusatory look.  
  
"Oh glub, sorry Sollux!" She laughed, pulling a roll of streamers from a box by the door. "I meant to explain, we're throwing Eridan a surprise party! You know, to show him we all forgive him."  
  
"Th'eriouth'ly?" Sollux asked, eyes going wide. "Everyone'th' coming?"  
  
"Yes, everyone," Kanaya said proudly. "I wrote the invitations myself."  
  
Sollux personally dared any troll to ignore an invitation from Kanaya. "When are they getting here?"  
  
"Within the hour, we hope!" Feferi answered, getting started with the decorations. "Plus, it's hard to decorate in the dark."  
  
"She's afraid the lights will wake our prince," Kanaya explained. "We want him slumbering until after all the guests have arrived."  
  
Right on cue, they heard the sound of the door opening and Feferi went to go tackle the newcomer before he could make any more noise. "Ah, fuck!" Was all that was heard before the voice was muffled by the heiress's hand.  
  
Sollux chuckled as she brought him in. "Hey, KK," He said. "Long time no th'ee."  
  
"Don't say hey to me you dirty poser," The mutant blood snapped. "We haven't spoken in like, a sweep, how could you expect me to fucking associate with you? Asshole."  
  
"Oh calm down, silly," Said a voice Sollux didn't recognize. "I'm the only one you've talked to in ages, give him a break."  
  
Shockingly, it was a human who had spoken. Karkat obviously knew the human well, and something about the way he was behaving around that alien seemed suspiciously flushed. He shot the shorter troll a shit eating grin, smiling even wider when his face turned a bright crimson in response.  
  
As more and more old friends arrived, including a smug looking Aradia, Sollux found himself eyeing the wand in Kanaya's hands. He vividly remembered how much power could be wielded through such a weapon, and he remembered what it felt like to be the target of its death shot. It made him wonder. Eridan always preached about how fake magic was, but with abilities like his, it made no sense for the seadweller not to believe. "Hey, FF," Sollux finally asked, pulling the heiress aside. "You know ED's path't pretty well, don't you?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Do you know why he'th' th'o… touchy when it cometh' to hith' magic?"  
  
"Oh," She murmured, brushing her curls back nervously. If Sollux wasn't mistaken, she was blushing. "It's my fault, I think."  
  
He frowned. "Your fault? How?"  
  
"Well, he tried to do this magic trick on me when we were really little. It was pretty silly, but it was a real spell." She looked up at the ceiling, miles away. "He charmed himself to give enchanted kisses, kisses that could clear away all the hurt in someone's heart, make life worth living and make them stronger."  
  
"Did it work?" He asked.  
  
She nodded. "It really did. I improved in so many ways because of him, doing things I never thought I could…" She sighed. "Before him, I was afraid of my own trident."  
  
Almost absently, Sollux engulfed his hands in psionic flames. Without even noticing Eridan had healed him. His heart swelled and he let the fire flicker and fade. As if he didn't love the prince enough already, Sollux had a new level of gratitude towards his matesprit. He needed no further convincing, he already knew Eridan's kiss was magic. "If it worked th'o well, why did he loth'e faith?"  
  
"He didn't know it worked at the time," She explained sadly. "He was young, he thought it was a love spell. By the time I had realized what he thought he did, he was already convinced that his magic was broken, and that all the hope and love he once had was lost forever. I couldn't give him what he needed most, and he just gave up…"  
  
Pink tears rolled down the royal's cheeks and she buried her face in her hands. She blamed herself. Sollux tried to comfort her, but before he could so much as reach for a tissue, he heard the scream. Everyone one froze but Sollux was running. He had only heard such a piercing sound once before. If his memory served him, it had come from Eridan, and something was very, very wrong.  
  
Pushing back her guilt, Feferi tailed him as he rushed to Eridan's aid, the two of them bursting into the living room to see the Aquarius trembling and bloody on the floor, trying to wrestle a knife from his own hand. "Get help!" Sollux barked, and in a flash Feferi was gone. He scrambled to his matesprit's side. The highblood was out of control, his eyes darting up and down, terrified of what he saw. He was tougher now than he was before, he was fighting, but he was losing fast. Physically, he just wasn't strong enough to win.  
  
Mostly, because he was being held down. Eridan had never seen jack like this before. He was crazy, bloody, and looked even more possessed than ever. Ever changing pool balls spun and flashed in the monsters sockets as they fought, almost hypnotic as they flashed and glowed. "Sollux help!" Eridan wailed at an earsplitting volume. "J-jack… H-he has me, he's… He's too strong Sol please help!"  
  
"Cry all you want," Hissed the beast, grip on his wrist tightening. "You're as good as dead now."  
  
"I don't want to die!" He shrieked.  
  
Thrashing to avoid each stab, and trying with all his might to hold the monster back, Eridan could hear Sollux shouting. "Eridan, uth'e magic!" The psionic was screaming. "Don't give up, I'm here!"  
  
"Oh, I'd just love to see that!" Jack cackled, slicing at the skin of the seadwellers neck, nearly cutting a gill. "Go ahead, try I dare you!"  
  
"It's no use!" He sobbed. "Magic is fake, it nevver wworked, and I'm gonna-"  
  
Cutting himself off, Eridan howled in pain as the knife struck him in the gut, controlled by the power crazed fiend. "You should have taken my deal, princess," He growled with a smirk, twisting the knife in his victim's abdomen. "No amount of magic fairy dust is gonna save you now!"  
  
"I nevver had any magic," He wailed. "I'vve nevver been able to- ahhhhhh!"  
  
Both Jack and Eridan shook violently, forms burning and crackling with red and blue sparks as Sollux released as much of his power as he could in his desperation. He aimed to paralyze them, hell, he'd do anything to keep Jack from stabbing Eridan, even if that meant immobilizing them both. "Eridan you have to lith'ten to me!" He had cried. "Magic itth' real, you uth'e it every day! I know becauth'e… becauth'e when you kith' me, I can feel it!"  
  
Jack stared Eridan down, eyes flashing suspiciously as the seadweller focused his energy, forehead shining with sweat. "What's happening? What are you trying to pull?"  
  
Eridan was at an advantage. Jack couldn't move, and as he thought back to their countless battles on the meteor he realized something. Jack wasn't using his old abilities; he had no control over the forces of the green sun. With renewed hope, the prince reached out for his power, feeling it fill him at once, as if it never left. He could feel the effects of Sollux's psionics weakening, and he braced himself for a fight. So when he regained control he released his power, sending tendrils of swirling white energy up into the monster above him. The black of Jack's form glowed and burned until finally the magic consumed him completely, shattering his image forever.  
  
The knife clattered noisily to the floor and Eridan stared, dazed as sparkling light rained down on him where a raging beast had once been. When his vision cleared, Sollux was staring back at him, face stained yellow with years. "ED," He choked. "You're okay!"  
  
When Eridan looked around, he saw his violet blood splattered on the floor. He could feel each wound, especially the one in his stomach, which was making it hard to breathe, and his muscles were achy and sore from being taken over with such force. These things didn't bother him in the least because when he looked past his matesprit and the gore that covered them, everyone he knew, troll and human alike, was gathered around, each and every one supporting wide smiles of relief and joy. "He's alive!" Some cheered. "Thank god!" Others would breathe. Their prince was still alive, and they all actually cared, but one voice was much louder than the rest.  
  
Just as small and just as angry as he remembered, Karkat pushed through the crowd, moving to look down on him as he made a shaky attempt to sit up. "Hold the fuck still," The Cancer snapped, sounding a little choked up. "After an episode like that, leave it to you to like, get a head rush and pass out or some shit! Just watch, you'll hit your skull on the coffee table and then you'll die. After winning a battle with a beast of the mind, you will be stupid and die via coffee table."  
  
All at once, everyone in the room began to laugh. "It's not funny," Karkat shouted. "Shut up you fuck munching wastes of space, I'm serious!"  
  
He was serious, and just as Feferi returned with a doctor, Eridan did wind up hitting his head. He didn't die, but he gave the others quite a scare. As a precaution, Sollux and a few doctors teamed up to brew and perfect that protein serum. They put Eridan on a healthy dosage, and very soon, the prince was on the road to recover. Everything began to run very smoothly for the hero's of the game. Eridan began officially going to work at the palace with Feferi, Sollux developed a moirallegiance with Aradia, and both he and his matesprit rekindled their friendships with Karkat, who seemed to spend a fair amount of time with that John human. Kanaya eventually returned Eridan's wand and visited him very often. In fact, he got plenty of visitors, him and Sollux both. No one but Vriska though had much tolerance for that little boat, and it made group trips a chore. Sollux could fly again and Eridan could swim, but for the others, it wasn't so easy to get to the irritatingly secluded island.  
  
It became a real issue, and the anciently wrecked ship he called a hive was full of painful memories, so after a long nights thought, the matesprits decided it was time for a move. Building new hives wasn't really a common practice for trolls, but things were changing on Alternia anyway, changing fast. So plans were quickly and eagerly drawn for what would be the very first semi aquatic hive.  
  
They quickly learned that architecture came much more naturally to the young of their planet, but that didn't stop them from trying. Location hunting, or so they called it, became one of their favorite activities. They'd take little beach trips and spend the whole day walking the shoreline with their pants rolled up and their feet bare, searching for a perfect spot to build their home.  
  
"I wwant part of the hivve to actually be under the sea, like Fef's," Eridan was saying one day. "So wwe either gotta dig, or find a place wwith deeper wwater."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sollux asked, frowning at the blue prints. "How can a hive be only partially under the th'ea?"  
  
"Wwell the main floor can be levvel wwith the shore," He explained, pointing. "And the upper floors can be built higher and higher like normal, but if wwe add a basement of sorts…"  
  
"It'll go down under the water," Sollux finished with a grin.  
  
Just then, a soft, gurgling sound caught Eridan's attention, somehow compelling him to step towards the frothy surf. Sollux asked him what he was up to, but he didn't reply, he just wandered curiously into the ocean until he was submerged, gills coming alive as he searched for the source of the sound. He looked around for a moment, fearing that he had been simply hearing things or worse, hallucinating again, but then the gurgling returned, slowly morphing into a soft purr.  
  
A splotch of color in the sand made him look down, and the second he did, every muscle in his body froze with utter shock.  
  
Crawling around on the seafloor was a tiny, lavender blooded, sea dwelling grub, with horns like the tail end of a whale.  
  
End of part two.


	14. Chapter 14

Feferi Peixes pushed passed a school of fish, anxiously speeding through the ocean to reach the shallower waters where she believed her moiral was, constructing his new hive. When she finally arrived at the work site, she put her hands on her hips, examining the underwater portion with a frown. It was finished from what she could see, although she knew that resting on the shore, was the frame work for the rest, nowhere near finished. She huffed angrily, getting frustrated with her missing moiral. They were important matters she needed to discuss with him. She pounded on his door. “Eridan oh my glub,” She shouted. “Paddle your chum sucking ass out here!”  
At first, Eridan didn’t hear a thing. Neither did Sollux. They were both entranced, their undivided attention on the tiny little grub resting in their laps. Since the entire basement was finished, it was a perfect place for the little wriggler to play. He and Eridan enjoyed the area because after a nice dry floor with couches, a television and a stalked bookshelf, there were stairs that led to the water below. Within the sea, and yet still indoors, was a much larger space that held a foyer, a sitting area, and a few long halls lined with rooms and other common necessaries. Beyond the foyer was a large, draw bridge style door that led out into the open ocean. It had small slits to let water in, just as the stairs leading back up were lined with little drains to avoid flooding the dry space above, the Sollux could enjoy.  
The three of them were curled up in that space, and enchanted smile on Eridan’s face as the grub gurgled, cooed, wiggled its fins and crawled from lap to lap. It had been hard getting used to having a grub around, it was illegal to handle them before they pupated, but Eridan couldn’t have resisted. He had been so shocked to find him, a grub that looked exactly like the boy from his dreams, blood color and all, that he immediately plucked the thing from the sea floor to get a better look. His heart beat had quickened, and when he heard Sollux calling from the shore he panicked, stuffing the puzzled creature into his shirt.  
The squirming grub tickled and scratched as he emerged from the water, and Sollux raised an eyebrow, clearly baffled by his behavior. “Ed, what’th’ that under your clotheth’?”  
Eridan swallowed hard, recalling the horrible dream in which a lavender blood so similar to the one he held, had died. His brain told him it had only been a nightmare, the child who had perished in that lab had no connection to the grub under his shirt, and yet his heart pumped with a fierce need to protect him. “Sol you cannot get upset,” He said urgently. “This is life or death.”  
The land dweller sparked nervously. “Um… okay?”  
When Eridan let the grub poke its head out of his sleeve, Sollux rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated huff. “Oh put that back, you drama queen,” He said. “He’th probably juth’t trying to find hith’ luth’uth’ or th’omething.”  
An image of a large, white whale getting shot by ahbs crosshairs flashed through his mind. “S-Sol, somethin’ tells me he doesn’t actually havve a lusus.” The prince gulped. “I think it’s dead.”  
“Wait, th’o you wanna keep it?” Sollux demanded, recoiling at the thought. “Eridan are you crazy? We’ll get caught and culled in a th’econd!”  
“Sol, without a lusus he’ll die!” Eridan cried, holding the creature close. “I'm almost positivve I slaughtered his lusus before the game! Please, I'm beggin’ ya, I can’t just leavve him!”  
Sollux added the numbers in his head. “That wath’ almoth’t three th’weepth’ ago.”  
“Yes.”  
“…How long can a grub th’urvive without pupating?”  
Eridan held the wriggler closer. “Just ovver three swweeps.”  
Sollux looked from Eridan to the baby in his arms and back again, looking torn. “Okay,” The psionic finally groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “But we have to huide him and hide him fath’t, we can’t be th’een running around with a fucking grub.”  
Nodding sharply, Eridan took Sollux’s hand and fled the beach, keeping the baby tight in his arms. Using his powers, Sollux flew them back to the island, knowing that for the time being, it would be the safest place. At least until the new hive was built. When they arrived home, Eridan gently set the grub down on the bed, watching it wriggle and roll around. His heart melted and he crawled in as well, laying on his stomach to watch the creature roam. Almost instantly the child turned around, facing the prince and gurgling curiously. Their eyes met and Eridan stared, awestruck when the wriggler smiled, squeaked, and scuttled into his arms. It nuzzled and purred, situating itself between Eridan’s neck and chin, the innocent quest for warmth and attention filling the elder troll with emotions he couldn’t quite understand. He held it close.  
“He’th’… Th’o th’mall…” Sollux breathed. Eridan nodded and the psionic sat beside him, timidly stroking the grub’s downy black hair. There was a happy purr, and Sollux’s heart was claimed. “What are we gonna call him? If we’re gonna keep the little guy, he needth’ a name.”  
Eridan thought about it, counting out letters in groups of six in his head. He didn’t simply utter some babble like a lusus would, he wanted the grub to have a meaningful, royal name, like the ones from his history books. The two of them mulled it over for a very long time. “Wwell maybe wwe could call him Clovvis,” He finally offered, tickling the child’s belly and laughing when his little legs wiggled. “There wwas an earth king named Clovvis, I read about him once.” The grub fixed its large lavender eyes on Eridan’s glistening golden rings, and the prince laughed again, slipping on off and showing it to him. He tried to grab it with his legs. “He looks like a Clovvis.”  
“He doeth’,” Sollux agreed, unable to keep from grinning. He flashed his psionics like a police siren and Clovis cooed, dazed by the lights and colors. Just like that, he captured both of the troll’s hearts. “Hi Clovith’.”  
After responding with a light babble, Clovis looked around, opening and closing his mouth like a cod fish. “Wwhatcha doin’ Clovvis?” Eridan asked, amused. “Lookin’ for somethin’?”  
Instead of another happy sound, Clovis let out a small whine, frowning as he stumbled and crawled through the blankets. He sniffed the air and turned back to Eridan, little tear drops in his eyes. He was scooped up at once and shoosh papped, but even so, he started to cry. “Wwhy is he cryin’?” Eridan asked, panicked.  
“I don’t know,” Sollux said frantically, standing and looking around as if the answer was written on the walls. “D-did you like, th’quith’h him or th’omething?”  
“Of course not!”  
“Don’t yell at me, maybe he wantth’ th’omething!”  
“Wwell, wwhat kind of stuff do grubs like?”  
“I don’t know, do I look like a luth’uth’ to you?”  
“Wwell what did your lusus like?”  
“Um, mind honey, but I had to chain him to my roof!”  
“Maybe you should havve fed him somthin’ else!”  
Interrupting their argument, Clovis wailed, an alarmingly loud rumble coming from his belly. “He’s hungry,” Eridan realized, carrying him from the bed and into the kitchen. He awkwardly leafed through his pantries and in the fridge, from deepening as he looked. “Wwhat can grubs eat?” HE asked, exasperated.  
“Uh, th’oft th’tuff I gueth’.” Sollux followed, pulling a can out of the cabinet and chuckling. “Like the th’tuff I fed you when you were th’ick, remember?”  
Eridan rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Yes, I remember quite wwell. You talk like it wwas swweeps ago.”  
Joking over the similarities between grubs and Eridan, they cracked open some chouder and Sollux zapped it with his psionics, testing out a bite himself to make sure it wasn’t too hot. Only then did he spoon some into the grubs eagerly awaiting mouth. A bit dribbled down his chin and he gurgled as Sollux swiped it off with his thumb. “Ick,” He said, making a face and wiping it onto his jeans. “Eridan, he’th’ th’pitting it everywhere.”  
Still holding onto him, Eridan shifted the grub a little. Gravity was not on their side. “Havve a heart sol, it’s kind of cute,” He said, watching Clovis stick his tongue out and drool on the spoon.  
“I do have a heart, but dammit thith’th ith’ hard,” He huffed, grinning despite his struggle. “Wanna trade th’potth’?”  
“Not a chance.”  
The rest of their day went along much like that. Clovis proved to be a huge handful. Together, though they bickered constantly, they found that they could keep afloat. About a week went by before they ran into a much bigger problem. How were they going to finish the new hive? Because they had to keep Clovis under constant watch, only one of them could leave the island at a time, and working on such a big project alone proved to be nearly impossible, even with their powers. Finally, they sought help. Despite his fiery loathing of seadwellers, Equius offered his assistance because he was encouraged by Gamzee, who thought it would be “Motherfucking sweet and shit to have another hive all up and chilling on the beach.” Equius was simply unable to refuse him, and through this obligation, the entire basement of the hive was finished in just a few more weeks, the framework for the upper levels already in progress.  
After moving a bunch of living room type junk into the basement, Eridan and Sollux introduced Clovis to the new hive. It may not have been complete, but because of the semi aquatic nature of the space, Clovis was allowed to swim around without being in the open sea. As a family they relaxed there often, watching silly things on TV and letting the grub use their limbs as his own personal jungle gym, but when Eridan’s affectionate daze was broken by an angry pounding on their door, Eridan plucked the grub from the folds of his cape and passed him to Sollux, a bit panicked. “His bottle is up on the shelf,” He whispered. “Feed him, then take him to the island for bed, okay?”  
Sollux took him with a worried expression. “Yeah, of courth’e.”  
Only opening the door enough to slip through, Eridan dove into the water and swam down the hall, then up, through the crack in the door and into open ocean. He almost smacked right into a very angry heiress. “Oh my glub Eridan,” She snapped, hitting him on the arm. “Where have you been? You needed to be at the palace! There was a huge meeting and you missed it!”  
“I’ve been really busy,” He said defensively. “IT just slipped my mind, alright?”  
“Well it’s not alright,” She said. “Humans are becoming a huge problem, they’re crabby, they’re shellfish, and we needed to discuss it together! Just because I'm an heiress, it doesn’t mean I can take on the responsibility of every royal in the sea! I needed my moiral!”  
“Wwait wwhat? Humans?”  
“Are you even listening?” She demanded.  
“Yes, damn,” He insisted, alarmed by her sudden animosity. “I'm just tryin’ to understand. Wwhat’s so bad about humans?”  
“They’re trying to take over everyfin!” She huffed, flipping her long curls so they caught in the gentle currents. “They’re filling up troll’s quadrants, don’t you see how dangerous that is?”  
“I don’t, actually,” He said, putting his hands on his hips. “If humans and trolls wwanna get together, I don’t see a problem.”  
“Eridan, they’re aliens!”  
“Wwith feelin’s! And If you were on earth, you’d be an alien too!”  
The moirals glared at each other for a long time before Eridan gave an exasperated sigh, swimming in the other direction. “I'm not in the mood to fight wwith ya right noww. I’vve got a lot on my plate. Wwe’ll talk later, bye Fef.”  
Before she could stop him, Eridan swam off, leaving her in his bubbled. Frustrated, Feferi turned around and swam back to the castle, following the sound of terrible rap music all the way up into the throne room where the Condescension sat, sprinkling glitter onto a large slab of hot pink poster board. “Ha, ha,” She cackled, smacking a large sticker onto the front of her project. Feferi ground her teeth together, feeling a headache coming on. From her throne, the empress whooped. “Chum sucker’s going down!”  
The Condess lived in the castle mostly in secret, only the highest of royals knew of her presence, and only Feferi knew her first name. The ancestors all lived in secrecy, among each other at times, but others completely isolated. Honestly, Feferi had no idea how the avoided detection, probably some sort of glamour cast by The Psionoic, but sometimes she wished she could join them. “Meenah, would you turn the stereo down just a little?” She asked.  
“Shore thing squirt,” The empress said, using her cheesy shell phone as a universal remote. “Did you find your little buoy friend?”  
“Whale yes, but-“  
“Aw hell yes, is he gonna lend a flipper or a wand or somefin? Help us blow these fuckers out of the water?”  
“Meenah, he isn’t going to help us,” Feferi insisted. “He doesn’t even sea the problem.”  
“But we need some glubbin’ man power,” She complained. “These humans are fucking everyfin up.”  
She floated down from her throne, carrying her poster down to show her descendent. It was basically a ghetto, glitter bombed and gaudy representation of the running the humans violently out of Alternia. Not to mention a giant Betty Crocker sticker smack dab in the center. Feferi took the scary artwork, giving the horribly drawn gore a uncomfortable look. “Um, I know they’re causing a tuna trouble, but…?”  
“We gotta kick some ass! When people wanna change things, we gotta snuff them out before they can multiply!”  
“Multiply?”  
“They’re humans,” She emphasized. “No one controls their reproduction; they can make offspring just for the halibut if they wanna! If they start clogging up our planet with creepy pink people they could like, revolt or some shit! We have to take them down before that can happen!”  
“So what’s the plan, then?” Feferi asked wearily.  
The Condess smiled, her fangs gleaming as she pointed to a boy in blue on her poster, being forked by an expertly flung trident. “We cull them.”


	15. Chapter 15

Oblivious to the danger his matesprit was in, Karkat rested his chin on the back of the couch, watching the other dance around the kitchen, shaking his butt to the beat of popping popcorn. There was already a mountain of puffy white crap piled in the bowl. Still, as John sang a stupid human pop song way off key, more cascaded out of the air popper, threatening to bury them both in edible fluff. "You're making way too fucking much," The troll growled, narrowing his apple red eyes with suspicion. "How the hell do you expect me to eat all that shit?"  
  
"By sharing it with me," The human laughed, shutting down the machine and tossing a handful into his mouth. "It's mostly air anyway you ass, calm down."  
  
His frown deepened when the human plopped down on the couch beside him, spilling a bunch of those pesky kernels all over the couch. "I told you it was way to fucking much," He muttered, plucking a piece off of his lap to inspect it.  
  
Smiling softly, John ran a hand through Karkat's hair, producing a his own piece from behind the trolls ear. Grinning a buck toothed grin, the human popped it right into his mouth. "Ta-da!"  
  
"That's disgusting," Karkat said shortly, grabbing the remote.  
  
John stroked the side of his face. "No it's not," He whispered, letting his eyes slip closed before leaning in for a soft, slow kiss. He held Karkat there with one hand while the other crept into the troll's lap, snatching the remote right from his claws. "Now perk up, I picked out a real sappy Rom-Com just for you."  
  
After the human got the movie playing, Karkat reclaimed the remote and held it protectively, trying to focus on the screen. The film was another human one, and in it the couple wound up with some squirming pink wriggler. Oddly, it already had arms and legs. Before it showed up though, the female just kept getting fatter and fatter until somehow, without a bucket or a drone ever pictured, she was handed the tiny thing. She had been in the hospital for that event. Maybe it was to discuss her weight gain. Throughout the whole movie the troll's frown deepened and deepened. He was getting hopelessly lost; nothing was making any sense to him. "I'm confused," He said.  
  
"The girl is mad because he doesn't want to take the baby to see her parents, and she thinks that-"  
  
"No, no. Not that, stupid, I mean the non-grub looking wriggler. What the hell is wrong with it? Where is its lusus and why do those nook stains have it?"  
  
"There's nothing wrong with it," John said, puzzled. "It's their baby, where else would it be? She did birth it, Karkat."  
  
"Is that what that was?" He asked. "Is that the thing where a human wriggler just crawls out of the female's nook? I'm sorry, but that shit is just nasty, you may as well stick the kid in a bucket. I still don't understand where it's lusus is."  
  
John just laughed and drew him in for another kiss, but he squirmed, still unsettled by the human wriggler without a custodian. "John, they're gonna get in huge fucking trouble if they don't give that wriggler back, they aren't even worried."  
  
"They are not. Anyway it's theirs, who would they give it back to?"  
  
Karkat roared in frustration. "It's lusus! Is it fucking normal for asshole humans to just abduct wrigglers without even giving a shit?"  
  
"Very normal," John chuckled, as if he was enjoying a secret joke. Karkat glowered, turning away from the other. He'd never understand the ways of humans. He felt small, stupid, and the romance of Rom-Com night was very quickly fading. Glaring at the wall, Karkat ripped his hand from John's, making the human look at him, hurt. "Karkat, are you okay?"  
  
"No, I'm not," He snapped. "I don't see why you even bother trying to explain this shit to me when I obviously can't comprehend, even with my pathetically superior troll brain."  
  
"I want to explain it because I love you," John said simply.  
  
"Why?" Karkat demanded. "Why do you love me? Humans and trolls are just so fucking different; being with an alien is taboo as it is!"  
  
"No, it's not," John murmured, pulling the troll close and wiping a bright red tear from his eye. "We aren't different at all." When there was no response, John lifted Karkat's chin and met his eyes, capturing his lips in a kiss. "Did that feel taboo?"  
  
"… No," He admitted grudgingly.  
  
John's fingertips found their way under Karkat's shirt, holding him by the waist. He kissed him again, longer and a little harder than the last time. "How about that?" The human whispered.  
  
"No…"  
  
Forgetting entirely about the movie, Karkat let John push him onto his back, resting against the popcorn littered cushions as the human slid his cold hands up his shirt and across his heated gray skin, sending tingles up his spine before kissing him once again, filling him with an intoxicating mixture of nervousness and bliss. "And this?"  
  
He didn't even need to answer; he was too busy being smothered in kisses. John had made his point, and there were more important matters at hand. Specifically, he was focused on John's hands, John's soft human hands slowly sweeping across the planes of his chest. Karkat shivered, and snickering at the trolls reaction, John broke the kiss just long enough to tug off his tee shirt, leaving only his undershirt to protect him from Karkat's hungrily scratching claws. "Be careful," He laughed breathlessly. "I'm not quite as tough as you are."  
  
He pulled the Cancer's top off as well, leaning down to press a trail of kisses from his neck, all the way down his torso. Karkat's toes curled in his socks and he bit his lip, feeling his face getting hot. He knew his cheeks were cherry red as it was, but when a frantic knocking assaulted his front door, his whole face flushed scarlet.  
  
John paused his kisses; a little pink as well as he gave the door a puzzled look. Everyone knew that Wednesday night was Rom-Com night; no one ever bothered them on Rom-Com night. He stayed there, confused and listening carefully as Karkat squirmed beneath him. He could hear colorful swearing and a high pitched wailing, reminding him of an angry kitten. There was another insistent round of knocking and John untangled himself from the arms of his matesprit, rushing to open the door. He was instantly shocked, seeing Karkat's friend Sollux looking stressed, tired, irritable, a little bundle in his arms making a horrible racket.  
  
Cursing, Karkat jumped up from the couch, tugging his shit back on. He was fully prepared to give the intruder a piece of his mind, but when he caught an eyeful of his friend at the door his jaw nearly hit the ground. Sollux shot him a desperate look. "He won't th'top crying," The psionic groaned, voice strained as if he were ready to yank out his hair. :KK I know what you're thinking, but pleath'e, juth't let me in before th'omeone hereth' and callth' the droneth'. I can explain."  
  
Dumbstruck, karkat led the mustard blood and the screaming grub inside, quickly shutting the door. "Are you fucking insane?" He demanded. "Why do you have that grub? If you were caught carrying that little fuck around, you'd both be culled on the spot! You know that, right? Put it back!"  
  
"Don't fucking th'cream at me!" Sollux shouted, psionics crackling dangerously, making the wriggler cry louder. "Clovith' hath' been th'creaming at me all day, and I don't need it from you! I came here becauth'e I need help!"  
  
"Clovis? What makes you think I'd know what the fuck to do? What makes you think Clovis is a good name?"  
  
"I'm deth'perate!" He snapped. "ED ith gone, and there ith nothing wrong with the name clovith'!"  
  
Slowly, John stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but maybe I can help?"  
  
After a long moment's hesitation, Sollux reluctantly surrendered the child, setting him into John's waiting arms. He struggled at first to get the kid situated, but then the human began to coo and babble like an idiot, clearly affectionate as he papped Clovis on the back. He started an awkward combination of bouncing and swaying until finally, the grub issued a tiny belch.  
  
All was silent after that. John smiled, seeming pleased with himself as he shifted the wriggler in his arms, gently tickling his little fins. "Aw, you're kind of cute for a naked alien baby," HE laughed, looking over at Sollux. "Doesn't he wear diapers or anything?"  
  
The two trolls just gaped at him, astounded. "What the hell did you do to him?" Sollux wanted to know. "And what'th' a diaper?"  
  
John laughed again. "A diaper is what babies wear before they're potty trained," He explained. "And all I did was burp him. He had gas."  
  
"Gas?"  
  
"Sure," John shrugged. "If you eat to fast you swallow air and get all burpy, right? Babies are no different, but sometimes the gas just gets trapped in their little bellies and they need a little help."He continued to pat Clovis on the back until he burped again, earning a contented purr from the finally happy grub. "See?"  
  
Karkat opened his mouth to let out some sort of slander when there was another knock on the door. "For fuck's sake, what?" He demanded, throwing it open. Standing outside that time was Eridan, looking worn out and exhausted, a lot like Sollux had. Grumbling under his breath, Karkat urged him inside, sitting him on the couch and alerting him that his brat had already arrived and calmed the fuck down.  
  
Sollux joined him on the couch, explaining in a much nicer way what had gone on, but his frown just deepened and deepened until it was a full on sneer. "You're tellin' me this highblooded, sea dwwellin' and royal wwrigler wwas screamin' his head off because he wwanted ta burp?"  
  
"He had air bubbles!" John piped up. "But he's fine, totally happy, see?"  
  
Eridan held out his arms and the human brought him the gurgling baby, watching with a buck toothed smile as it immediately nuzzled into Eridan's neck. "Aww," John cooed, patting the troll's shoulder. "He really loves his daddy, huh?"  
  
All three trolls raised a brow. "Daddy?" Eridan asked slowly, drawing out the word as if he was testing it out on his tongue. "Wwhat's a daddy?"  
  
"The boy parent, duh." John rolled his eyes. "The one who raises the baby with the mommy?" He glanced at Sollux and his glowing psionics and back peddled. "Or uh, I guess there are two daddies sometimes…"  
  
Karkat all but shoved John in the face. "Shut up Egderp, No one fucking cares about your shit human ways, but if these two ass heads want to be that kid's awkward troll lusi, daddy, whatevers, they need to go the hell home and sleep before they drop dead on my carpet." He turned to the other trolls. "Now take your illegal pride and joy and get the hell out of my hive. Go, shoo."  
  
As they gathered themselves and made their way to the door, John continued to spout off human child care tips, trying his best to remember what he learned from that robot child he had to look after for that assignment in high school. He recalled getting a solid B on that project, so he reassured the trolls that he was defiantly an expert.  
  
Feeling better, Sollux and Eridan took Clovis home to their island, putting him to bed according to John's instructions, though they had to adapt it a bit due to the pool of slime Clovis slept in. Still, they got him to sleep and made their way to the blanket swaddled couch they called their bed. Eridan flopped down face first and just laid there until Sollux, chuckling softly, came over to unfasten his cape, discard it, and start gently rubbing his back. "Th'o my printh'e," Sollux teased. "What royal hell did you go through today?"  
  
"Don't evven get me started," He muttered.  
  
Sollux pushed the hem of Eridan's shirt all the way up his back, leaning down to kiss his scar before rubbing bare skin, trying to relieve some of that tension. "Then we won't talk about that," The Gemini murmured, giving him a crooked smile. "We don't have to talk at all, really."  
  
Rolling over, Eridan was greeted with a kiss, the crackle of Sollux's psionics making him shiver a little bit. That was really all it took with them. A little kiss, a tiny spark, or even a whisper could send them into a world of sensation. They broke apart and slowly began undressing each other. Shirts, pants, socks and more all joined Eridan's cape on the floor. Eridan bit his lip against a whine as Sollux sent little jolts of pleasure through him, psionics glowing in the dark, but hands remaining still. "That's cheatin', sol," He huffed, raising a brow. "You can do better."  
  
"You gotta promith'e to be quiet," Sollux whispered. "Grub'th' th'eeping."  
  
Accepting the challenge, Eridan cupped the back of Sollux's neck and pulled him into a kiss, parting his lips as he felt fingertips teasing the sensitive gills he had lining his ribs. "You knoww howw sensitivve those are," He accused, breaking the kiss to catch his breath.  
  
Not needing to take a breath, Sollux trailed his kisses along Eridan's jaw line, eventually moving to tease his neck gills with a swipe of the tongue. Eridan tensed up, his heart thumping harder in his chest and his claws scratching desperately at Sollux's scalp. The lowblood only chuckled. "You juth't can't wait, can you?"  
  
A low growl escaped from the squirming prince, so Sollux finally kissed him, stopped his teasing and thrusted inside with both bulges. Eridan made soft, breathless sounds of pleasure, forgetting almost completely about stress as he tingled and shivered. He raised his hips to mirror his loved, tugging gently at the lowblood's horns.  
  
Gentle whispers and shallow panting filled their ears, harmonizing with the sound of their bodies coming together. Movements built up from slow and soft into urgent and practically desperate, pressure building in their bellies until they finally reached their limits, bursting with sensation. Eridan arched and tightened his thighs against Sollux's waist, trembling for a spell before easing back against the pillows, feeling genetic material pooling between him and the Gemini above. "Wwe need to start usin' a bucket, Sol," He breathed, eyes fluttering open.  
  
A smile tugged at the corners of Sollux's mouth. "But it feelth' th'o good doing it thith' way."  
  
Eridan bit his lower lip as Sollux leaned down to press slow, wet kisses to his neck. "Sol… It's so messy…"  
  
"Come on," The psionic murmured, pulling back just enough to meet his lover's eyes. Without anymore warning than a pat on the thigh, two fingers slid into the highblood's nook, gathering a bit of that violet material and bringing it up to his mouth to lick it clean. The way Eridan blushed just made Sollux laugh. "Meth'y ith'nt th'o bad, right?"  
  
Eridan, as always, was powerless and fell prey to his matesprit's whims. Sollux had him admitting over and over, to the point of vocal strain that messy was in fact "So good," And then he'd beg for more. They ravished each other through round two, three, and then some, but soon enough they finally slowed to a stop, giving into their exhaustion and falling asleep in each other's arms.


	16. Chapter 16

When he opened his eyes again, something wasn’t quite right. He was cold, alone, and the only sound he could hear was the gentle _woosh_ of the waves drawing back from the shore. Puzzled, he rolled out of bed and combed a hand through his hair, about to change the sheets out of habit when he realized that they were crisp, fresh, and clean.

Odd. Debatably, Sollux could have lifted him up in the middle of the night, changed the sheets with psionics and put him back, but Eridan highly doubted that was what happened. Sollux slept like a rock, and slept very late. Eridan was simmering this in his head, way over thinking it of course when a abrupt cry broke shattered the silence.

Startled, Eridan pulled on his boxers, sweat pants and a warm hoodie. He was trying to lace his blue and purple Vans when the shriek spit the night once more. He began to panic and ran out of the hive, frantically sprinting to the other side of the island, towards the cliff.  Almost as if he was trudging through quick sand, his movements were slow, sluggish and he felt like hours would pass before he reached the other side. Though he was going as fast as he could, it seemed like his destination was getting farther away. It was a burst of willpower that finally flung him forward, but when he got to the cliff he skidded to a stop, sucking in a breath when he was met with a thick curtain of dark curls.  On toss of the head and the hair cascaded down the women’s back, unveiling a sadistic alligator grin, splattered with yellow blood. She flung a mangled, sparking carcass over the edge and into the sea, hissing with amusement at the splash that followed. “Sol!” Eridan screamed.

Eridan watched helplessly as The Condess, as if picking through a bowl of trail mix, lifted a small grub from his cradle, gently wiping the child clean of slime. A tortured cry ripped its way out of Eridan’s throat, and with a sickening smirk, the empress tore through the child’s flesh with fangs and claws, tossing the shreds off the edge of the cliff. She slowly turned then, reaching out for Eridan. “Damn buoy,” She drawled, making a puckered pout as she squeezed the prince’s face to match. “You look fucking AWFUL.”

“Wwhy are ya doin’ this?” He demanded, writhing in her grip.

“Ain’t you ever heard of crime and punishment?”

His heart spasmed in his chest and he fought desperately, unable to escape the queen’s deathly grasp. Eridan was sure he was a goner, but then a familiar squeak roused him from his nightmare.

Sweating and still plenty messy from the night before, Eridan sat up, shivering and weak as he peeled the sheets away from his naked body. He carefully removed himself from the bed, out on a robe and leaned down to stroke Sollux’s cheek, watching as he snored peacefully. Comforted, Eridan checked on Clovis, fed him, and put him back to sleep so he could take a shower. Once casually dressed, he checked the time. It was about five in the morning, and Sollux wouldn’t be waking until at least eight, so he decided to go out for a quick swim. He traveled all the way to the work site in hopes for a productive outlet for his nervous energy.

Already there, Equius was barefoot, tights rolled up, and ankle deep in the surf as he juggled blue prints, about six metal rods, and some power tools, positioning them as he worked on the ground level. Eridan watched from the sea, a sneer spreading across his face. “My fuckin’ god, Eq,” He snapped, finally marching to shore. “You’re doin’ it all wwrong!”

Equius looked up, tight lipped and faintly grumbling. He straightened his spine when Eridan approached. “I am quite sure you’re mistaken,” He said, tone clipped and forcibly polite. “My construction is accurate, one hundred twelve percent.”

“A hundred twwelvve?” Eridan demanded.

“Yes. One hundred twelve. Did the water in your ears hinder your comprehension?”

 _“No_ it did _not.”_

“Then perhaps it was your speech impediment.”

“I do _not_ havve a speech impediment!” The prince snapped, tossing his cape out dramatically. “It’s my _accent,_ it doesn’t _hinder_ anythin’, dammit! It’s _royal!”_

The blue blood looked unperturbed. “Is that how you see yourself?”

“Wwhat are you tryin’ to say?” Eridan challenged. “Are you suggestin’ that I’m anythin’ _less_ than royal?”

Equius turned to him with a sneer as cold as ice.  “Yes.”

Eridan was furious. “Look here, land dwweller,” He rumbled, marching forward. “I don’t care howw high and mighty you think you are, but I am your better and you are _fuckin’ up my hivve,_ so _do it right,_ or get lost!”

“The only reason I had offered to assist this mediocre development was the _true_ highblood, he asked me to.” The land dweller was breaking into an angry sweat, and fast. “I cannot, nor will I ever refuse him, but I do _not_ take orders from those who dwell in the sea!”

Gripping him by the shirt, Eridan rivaled the taller troll with a sneer of his own. “Wwell maybe it’s time to learn a little respect.”

“Do not come _near_ me!” Equius bellowed, grabbing Eridan by the neck and flipping him over his head. He slowly turned then, flexing his muscles and baring his broken fangs, just daring the other to get up.

Groaning, Eridan rolled onto his side. He had hit the sand with a back breaking thud that knocked the wind right out of him, not to mention the crushing grip Equius had assaulted his gills with. He cracked one eye open and saw several dizzying, silver streamers flutter through his vision, somehow making his stomach feel sick. He started to squint and eventually, his sight cleared, and he watched incredulously as Equius got right back to work, not even out of breath after flinging a fully grown troll to the ground like a rag doll. “I’ll be stronger next time,” He muttered, pushing himself up. “You just wwait.”

“Did you say something?” It was no question, it was a challenge.

“So wwhat if I did,” Eridan spat, shaking out his cape to rid it of sand. “Mind your fuckin’ business.”

Despite his tough talk, Eridan was very cautious and stayed out of Equius’s way was he worked, handling the underwater things while the land dweller worked everywhere else. They were actually making alarmingly quick progress, their desire to outdo each other motivating them to work that much harder. They continued their building and fighting throughout the entire day, and even well into the night. Twice Sollux called, demanding that Eridan paddle on home to be fed before returning to the construction site. Three of four days passed in a similar fashion, most of which included Eridan getting his ass handed to him, but in the end result was a finished hive. Eridan openly scoffed at Equius when Gamzee paid his visit, running all the way from the other end of the beach to tackle the blue blood to the ground. It was nice to see the sweaty prick all flustered and helpless for a change. “You twwo make a cute pairing,” Eridan had jeered. “Need a towel?”

“The _highblood_ was only thanking me for my labors,” He snapped. “The very same force that finished your _monstrosity_ of a hive.”

Claws had come out in that fight, sharp and violent, and Eridan very nearly sank his fangs into the land dweller’s neck, but a swift kick to the shins nipped that in the bud. He went home sore, bloody lipped and cranky, but at least the work was all done.

With Equius gone, it was easy to move Clovis into their new home. He had his own little respite block, and due to the size of the place, there were many wonderful rooms left empty, but the largest and the grandest by far, was not to be ignored. It made up the highest level, looking out on the ocean with its beautiful glass walls, allowing the owners to peer out, but no one could see in. The giant window was shatterproof and crystal clear, and yet had the ability to go completely black with the flip of a switch, blocking out the rays of the harmful Alternian sun. Inside, there was no soper filled cocoon like one would expect, instead, there was an enormous, elegant, and sinfully soft, human bed.

When they arrived, they were all very tired, so Sollux blackened the glass and flopped immediately onto the mattress, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “I fucking love thith’ bed,” He practically moaned. “Th’o much better than your th’ofa, man.”

“Clovvis likes it too,” Eridan yawned, smiling affectionately as the grub burrowed, crawling curiously up his pant leg.

Sollux rolled his eyes and plucked the child out of Eridan’s pants, just to hold him close. “Of courth’e he doeth’. Little th’quirt had better not get uth’ed to it though. He hath’ hith’ own bed. And a cocoon.”

“Just this one night, right Clovvis?” Eridan smiled, laying his head in Sollux’s lap. “Just look at his little face.”

Sollux held up the ditzy looking grub, scoffing at how the kid managed to look everywhere but at his daddy with an expression so dazed, he must have thought the walls were magic. “Oh alright. Juth’t thith’ onth’e.”

Smiling, they tucked each other into the soft, downy blankets, sinking into their feathery depths. With the warmth of their bodies and the familiar crashing of ocean waves, it didn’t take long for the family to fall into a deep, restful slumber.

Feeling great, more positive and energetic than ever, Eridan snuck out of the bed around seven, switching the windows clear to let in the glow of the moons. It was a beautiful day, and Eridan hummed as he showered, dressed, and styled his hair. He spent a little extra time on vanity that morning, touching up his bangs and ironing his cape. He even weighed himself and checked his torso for any extra fat or muscle, pleased to find that he was gaining fast. His swimmer’s muscles were returning to him, putting a little bulk back on his skinny frame. By the time Sollux woke to feed the baby, Eridan had a fresh pep in his step, a new confidence glowing in his bright, violet eyes. He felt healthy, a very pleasant change. He came up behind his lover when Clovis was set down, turning him around and kissing him full on the mouth, both hands resting on the lowblood’s hips, gently pulling him nearer and holding him tight. “Mmm, what’th gotten into you?” Sollux asked breathlessly, a smile spreading across his face. The energy was catching.

“About six more pounds,” He said proudly.

Sollux raised his brows. “You don’t th’ay?”

Eridan just gave an eager nod, and Sollux flashed a grin, scooping the prince into his arms and bouncing a little, testing his weight a little. Eridan laughed, wrapping his ars around his lover’s neck and leaning into another kiss.

Carefree was the best way to describe the course of that day. Eridan, after wriggling free of the loving embrace, bent down to collect Clovis from the floor and cover his belly in kisses. The two grown trolls took turns holding the little bundle of joy, and Sollux at one point managed to change a diaper entirely with psionics before delivering the clean bottomed baby into Eridan’s arms. Later, the prince wanted to play Clovis a lullaby on the harp, but the wriggler would squeak and coo with every cord, making it impossible to focus on the instrument without laughing. “He’s _singin’_ to us, sol,” Eridan had insisted, but before long, their fun and games grew sluggish and they knew it was time to call it a night and get some rest.

Clovis slept in his own room that night, but the parents did worry a little, too much to leave the little thing so alone in such a big house. To ease their nerves, they set up a two walky talkys. One was set in Clovis’s room, the other in the master bedroom, that way, if anything went wrong, the parents would be able to hear it. The only thing was, Clovis seemed to think it was a game, and kept gurgling into the receiver. “I hear you, little guy,” Sollux murmured in response to a particularly insistent coo. “Daddy’th’ right over here, don’t get th’cared, okay?”

Eridan turned to see Sollux curled up on his side, the device in his hands and a worried look in his multicolored eyes as he listened to the grub’s soft, wordless replies. “He’s not scared, Sol,” Eridan said reassuringly, taking the walky talky away and putting it back on the night stand. “Trust me, if ya keep talkin’ to him, he’ll nevver go to sleep.”

“What if he getth’ lonely?” Sollux asked. “Hith’ room ith’ th’o big, and all the way downth’tairth’. Clovith’ ith’ juth’t th’o tiny.”

Eridan pressed a soft, wet kiss right to his neck, slowly letting the tip of his nose skim along Sollux’s jaw line. “He’s fine, Sol… Wwhy don’t you talk to me, instead?”

They didn’t wind up talking for very long.

In the morning, Eridan fixed his family breakfast, but then had to say goodbye, swimming out their basement door and heading towards the castle. It was time for the first in what was to be a long series of stressful, hectic, and dramatic meetings. Admittedly the first hadn’t been _too_ bad. He and Feferi ran the whole thing, and only of few of the lesser royals were there. It had been dull, but more or less easy because on the topic discussed, he and Feferi actually agreed.

The next few rounds held more or less the same crowd, but as the topics changed, arguments began brewing. Each meeting harbored more tension, yelling, and attitude than the last. No one who visited would ever guess the two royals were moirals, and soon enough, it got so bad a noble had to get help from a higher power to settle the score. When the noble returned to the conference hall, he was not alone. “Water you all carping about?” Came a loud, whiny voice. It reminded Eridan a lot of pouty, ghetto pre teens, and yet there was an undertone of such power and authority, it sent chills up his spine. Feferi gasped and whipped around, her sudden movement stirring up a cloud of bubbles. The empress just laughed, tossing out her mane of curls like a cape, letting the tresses float and swirl in the currents, creating a writhing aura of black. “What? Can’t you chum buckets handle your own selves?”

Eridan sucked in a deep breath through his gills, face going pale. Feferi didn’t even get a chance to throw him under the buss before he stammered out a pathetic “M-my fault,” making a desperate attempt to flee the room. Growing up, he had encountered The Condess once before, and during that meeting, he had very nearly peed himself. He had been a lanky little three sweep old, yet the memory held, laced now with certain night terrors that refused to leave his dreams.

“Paddle your tail back here, you pussy,” She ordered him. “You ain’t getting away until this is settled. What were you squirts even talking about?”

The prince gulped, nervously loosening his scarf. “U-um, humans, your majesty.”

“PERFECT!” She bellowed, slamming her fist down on the table with a frightening grin. “What them bastards need to learn about is CRIME and PUNISHMENT!”

The phrase made Eridan’s blood run cold, and he swallowed hard, spewing some mundane excuse before making a swim for it. The women scared the hell out of him, and just thinking about that dream again made him sick with worry.

In his haste to hide, he shot down the halls at top speed, making sharp turns and stops before grabbing onto a door knob and yanking it open, slipping into the unfamiliar room. He was still for nearly an entire moment before he let out a relieved sigh, but his security was short lived. Almost as soon as the sigh left his mouth, he heard a low growl and the shifting of sheets, all followed by the unmistakable sound of someone switching the safety off on a gun.

Eridan shrieked and pressed himself against the door, heart pounding as he faced his own weapon head on, the same weapon he used to kill lusi, the same weapon he used to slaughter angels in the game. The tip of the ray gun glowed, dimly illuminating the wieldier with a ghostly blue light. “D-Dualscar.”

Across the dark room was a relatively large cot with two thin blankets, both draped over a groggy, yet heavily armed seadweller. The elder prince was muscular, tough, and had a sneer that sent shivers of recognition through Eridan. That was his own sneer, but in the dark, the man didn’t seem catch any sort of resemblance, because he didn’t even bother sitting up completely to aim his weapon. “Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my block?” He asked, voice a chilling rumble. “Answer me, you pansy!”

“E-Eirdan, I’m Eridan Ampora!”

“Ampora?” He questioned, lowering the gun with a huff. “Get over here kid, let me look atcha.”

Eridan stepped back wearily.

“Well, get on with it!”

“No _thank you,_ ” Eridan finally snapped, voice only quivering a little. “And I don’t like being called a pansy if you _don’t mind.”_

“I’ll call you what I please. You wanna know what happens to pansies, punk?”

Eridan shook his head stubbornly.

“They get _stepped on._ Now flick on the light and tell me what you’re doing in here before I step on _you.”_

“I’m not scared of you, Dualscar,” Eridan sniffed, sticking his chin up in a prissy manner. “I wwon’t respond to your threats.”

“You talk pretty tough, I like that.” The elder cracked a smile. “Drop the formalities, kid, call me Cronus.”

“Cronus, then,” Eridan allowed, frowning a little. He had sworn all of the ancestors were dead. “Do you… Livve here, in the palace?”

“Unfortunately,” Cronus muttered, shaking his head. “But hey, if you’re my descendent, it may get a little more interesting here.”

He didn’t know how to feel about that. In fact, he wasn’t sure whether he was awestruck, or disgusted by his ancestor. He couldn’t help but wonder if he acted the same way, if people left with a similar impression when they met him.  He didn’t like the thought of that very much, even if it seemed true. “Are there others?”

“Don’t be a dumb ass, of course there are,” Cronus huffed. “A load of fucked up babies if you ask me. Meenah puts us all through so much hell, half of us aren’t even worth talking to anymore. Especially that jittery ass mustard blood, don’t get me started on him, and then there’s that babbling bitch of a-“

“Wwhoa, hold on,” Eridan interrupted. “Wwhat about a mustard blood? Wwhat’s The Condess doin’ to him?”

“Enough,” He said evasively.”I’ve got to get going though anyway, can’t lie in bed all the time, got shit to do, ya know?” He stood, pulling on a hoodie and stepping into his shoes before shouldering Ahab's Crosshairs. He smiled, ruffling Eridan’s hair a bit as he pushed the kid out of the way. He had been blocking the door, after all, but before the elder troll left the room, he paused, turning around with his hands crossed over his chest. “Hey, punk.”

Eridan looked up, slightly unsettled.

“Stop by some time,” He said gently, a small, nostalgic smile tugging at his mouth. The movement scrunched up his scars. “Us oldies don’t get too much of the good stuff nowadays, it gets pretty dull, alright?”

Once again, in Cronus’s face, Eridan caught a frightening glimpse of himself. “Okay.”

((OMG I'm so sorry this is LATE my fucking GOD I'm awful XDD I had my wisdom teeth out, so I was drugged and in pain for a while, I'm sooooooooooooo sorry. Plz review and shit anyway, I really miss hearing from you all! Hope you liked this Chunk, thanks, love you! Till next time!


	17. Chapter 17

((I owe this chapter to nolee375, she gave me an idea that made me think Christmas had come early! OOOOOOOOOO the drama, I feed off of it, it’s delicious. And also, thank you guys again for sticking with me so long =w=))

“I can’t believe you swam away like a frightened wriggler.”

“Fef, I don’t knoww if you’vve noticed, but you ancestor is fuckin’ scary.”

“Only if you break the rules.”

“Or if you breath. I know she scares _me_ shitless.”

“Why, Eridan? Are you hiding something?”

Eridan slammed his book shut and finally faced his moiral. They were taking a break between meetings, and though Eridan had told Feferi of his intentions to read, she was intent on pestering him. “I'm not _hidin’_ anythin’,” He said through his teeth. “I just don’t get a good feelin’ wwhen she’s around.”

“Whale I think you’re hiding somefin,” She sniffed.

“Wwhy the fuck wwould ya think that?”

“Because even though it’s been finished for ages, you still haven’t invited me to your new hive.”

Hearing a pinch of hurt in her tone, his face softened and he drew her into a hug, gently petting her hair. “This isn’t about the meetin,” He said, pulling back to look into her eyes. “Is it?”

Her lower lip quivered and her eyes filled up with pink tears. “Eridan, I’m tired of all of this drama,” She said, voice breaking. “I, I mean, being an heiress is hard enough already with Meenah and her scary plans! Going through it alone… I just can’t do it! I don’t want to be _like_ her!”

The sound of her getting ready to cry made his heart ache a little. He suddenly felt like a terrible moiral. “You’re nothing like her,” He murmured, tightening his arms around her. He kissed her on the top of the head. “And you’ll not alone. Evveryone lovves you.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” She said bitterly. “You have Sollux. I bet her holds you every night, doesn’t he? He runs his fingers through your hair, looks at you with glowing eyes and tickles your gills, right?”

The prince was shocked, wondering if Feferi had somehow peered into their bedroom the night before. She sounded almost angry with him somehow. “Fef, howw wwould you knoww that?” Eridan was positive he had never told a soul about Sollux’s fixation on his gills.

“I know because he used to do the _same glubbing thing_ for me,” She suddenly snapped, jerking out of his embrace. “We were so close to filling a quadrant on that meteor, but no, you had to ruin that for me and now look! He wound up with you instead!”

Feferi’s sudden jealousy was alarming, but by the way she yelled, Eridan could tell she’d been holding it all in for a very long time. “I had _no_ intention of ruinin’ shit,” Eridan protested, frown deepening. “I'm sorry, but Sol wwasn’t in any sorta quadrant wwith you evver. He wwould havve told me!”

“What makes you so sure?”

Appalled, Eridan stepped backward. “Are you tryin’ to get me to believve my matesprit wwould _lie_ to me?” He demanded. “Me and Sol havve no secrets, I trust him more than anyone, and he’d _nevver_ lie to me.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Eridan, but you aren’t the only one Sollux had been red for! He’s had more matesprits than just you, and he treated them _all_ the same.”

“Wwhat are you tryin’ to say?”

“You’re my moiral,” She said, sighing. “I’m just trying to save your heart from a matespritship that could really hurt!”

“Sol _isn’t_ gonna hurt me!”

“That’s what you think!” She sniffed.

The look in Feferi's eyes suddenly infuriated him. “Jealousy is a _nasty fuckin’ emotion_ Fef,” He snapped, dramatically tossing out his cape. “And quite frankly, you’re _pissin’ me off!”_

“I’m not jealous!” She shrieked, face flaming hot pink.

“Wwhale you knoww wwhat, princess?” He sneered. “I think you are!”

“Don’t you _dare_ make fish puns! You are so aggravating! I’m trying to _save you!”_

“You’re after my matesprit!”

“He liked me _first!”_

Eridan’s sneer darkened, his hands clenching into fists, trembling at his sides. “You knoww wwhat, Fef? Maybe you _are_ like your ancestor.”

No creature, troll or lusus dared get in the way of Eridan's retreat. The anger he radiated was more than enough to keep every living thing at bay as he tore through the ocean. Everyone knew very well how the prince behaved when he was in one of his moods, and backing of was usually the safest option. Eridan wasn’t even looking for a fight, he just wanted to get home go from there, but when he arrived at his hive, a hunk of rusty metal, gleaming dully in the moonlight caught his eye.

Upper lip curling in disgust, he swam up the stairs and approached the robot. It was a sickeningly precise model of Equius Zahhak, and was no doubt created by the blue blood it resembled. Equius’s face was one of the last things Eridan cared to see. There was even a sloppy, oil stained not attached to the replica’s horn. Eridan ripped it off with unnecessary aggression.

_D -- > Your despicable lack of combative coordination has been haunting my thoughts and making my stomach turn with rage._

_D -- > For one who has the gall to call himself a highb100d, your levels of competence in hand to hand combat are pathetically weak._

_D -- > You will surely die if you are not able to defeat this simulation by our ne%t encounter._

_D -- > Get to work.                                                                                                                                                            _

_D -- > You soggy._

_D -- > Dripping._

_D -- > Lump of filth._

Eridan didn’t even have time to be insulted before the robot whirred to life, eyes glowing red as it charged at the unsuspecting prince. Once, twice, and three times the robot slammed Eridan in the chest with its metal fists, making him stumble backwards, completely winded. “F-fuck,” He panted, shedding his cape just fast enough to kick the thing in the face. It seemed disoriented for a moment, but it recovered alarmingly fast, the sound of gears spinning ringing in Eridan’s ears, distracting him long enough to get punched square in the jaw, _and_ in the side of the head. He swayed dizzily, but could focus just enough to see that the robot had a dial on its neck a dial that had been preset from beginner, to kill. “Simulation, my ass!”

Fueled by stress, anger, and pride, Eridan rammed into the robots side and tacked it to the ground, desperate to get the upper hand. He struggled and took a lot of hits, but made no move to turn the dial. Eridan was too worked up, furious, and far too smug to admit his disadvantage like that. He _wanted_ to fight, it felt good, amazing even to land a single punch, even though his fist was connecting with red hot metal. He screamed abuse at the machine, putting everything he had into fighting it until suddenly, he was frozen mid kick, a red and blue glow suspending the robot in the air. Slowly, Eridan regained control, panting, sweating, and even bleeding in places. From the other end of the room, Sollux approached, one hand raised as his powers held the robot at bay. “ED, are you okay?” He asked, sounding groggy and confused. “I could hear you all the way upth’tairth’, what’th’ going on?”

Eridan didn’t say anything, but when he wiped the back of his hand against his brow, it came back bloody. Sollux gasped, shutting the bot off with his powers and letting it drop so he could rush to his lover’s aid. “ED, you’re bleeding! Where did that thing come from?”

He winced when Sollux unwound his still damp scarf and started dabbing at the wound. “Eq sent it,” Eridan growled, shaking out his throbbing hands. The metal had split his knuckles, but his rings has dented the metal, so they were nearly even.

Sollux raised a brow. “What the hell, why?”

“Cause he fuckin’ hates me,” He sneered, blood boiling just thinking about the sweaty blue blood. “Oh he makes me _so mad_ Sol, that breathy fuckin’ vvoice a his just makes me wwanna crush his damn wwindpipe.”

“You th’ound like you have feelingth’ for him.”

“If ya mean murderous feelin’s, then yeah, I do.”

The psionic smirked. “I think EQ ith’ flirting with you.”

“Is _that_ wwhat wwe’re callin’ it noww?” Eridan muttered, stomach turning at the thought.

“Babe, he th’ent a robotic replica of himth’elf to kick your ath’. Don’t act like you haven’t been black for anyone before, if that’th’ not flirting, I don’t know what ith’.”

“The only kismeses I’vve evver had wwas Vvris,” He said. “Gimme a break, damn.”

“It’th okay, with EQ ath’ a kith’meth’eth’ you’ll learn fath’t.”

“He’s _not_ my kismeses!”

“Yeah, okay,” Sollux scoffed. “I’ll believe that never. You were beating that bot th’o damn hard I thought you were gonna try and kith’ it.”

“I wwas in a bad mood already,” Eridan mumbled defensively, leaning heavily on Sollux. All of a sudden, he was exhausted. “The bot fuckin’ started it.”

Sollux chuckled, scooping Eridan into his arms and carrying him off. “Let’th’ get you patched up before Clovith’ waketh’ up, okay?”

Eridan rested his head against his matesprit’s shoulder. “M’kay.” Something about the way Sollux held him made all the anger melt away. He didn’t feel violent or frustrated, just warm and safe, like nothing could touch him. There was only one thing Eridan didn’t quite understand. “Sol?” He asked. “Wwhy do ya always carry me around, wwhen you could lift me up wwith your powwers?”

The lowblood rolled his eyes. “How cold do you think I am?” He wanted to know. “I hold you because I love you, and you’re real cute when you curl up like that.”

“I do not curl up,” Eridan mumbled bashfully, smiling as Sollux laid him down on their bed.

“Take of your clotheth’,” Sollux chuckled, laughing. “We’re gonna play doctor.”

“But sol, I’m all banged up,” He protested weakly, his smile widening a bit.

“And I’m gonna fix you,” Sollux said, grinning. “Relax.”

With feather light touches, Sollux slowly dragged away every bit of fabric covering his lover’s body. He kissed every scrape and every bruise, smirking at the soft sounds of arousal he heard in response. As promised, Sollux did actually treat each injury, bandaging the cuts and massaging tiger balm into Eridan’s sore muscles. Throughout the process, the highblood’s patience dwindled, leaving him squirming and whining until Sollux finally got around to kissing him. He wrapped both arms around the others neck and drew him closer, but Sollux only chuckled. “You’re th’o th’exy when you need me like thith’,” The lowblood purred, dragging his mouth down Eridan’s delicately muscled body. “But I don’t wanna mke you even _more_ th’ore…”

Though he hated to admit it, Eridan knew Sollux was right. As much as he wanted it, getting pounded by another body wouldn’t do him much good in the ways of healing. “But Sol…”

“Quiet you,” The other said. “I got uth’ a little toy.”

Eridan watched curiously as Sollux’s eyes began to glow brilliantly, lighting up the whole room. He was so distracted by the display of light, he didn’t notice the levitating bucket gliding across the room until it was right in their faces. “Um… Sol?”

“Th’coot to the edge of the bed,” Sollux said, standing. “I’m gonna make you feel good.”

Doing as he was told, Eridan leaned back on his elbows and relaxed as Sollux put the bucket in place. He tried to keep eye contact, but the second he felt a tongue against his bulge he gasped, eyes squeezing shut as he clutched at the covers. He could feel his nook getting wetter and wetter with every lick, threatening to overflow. “Wwe’re gonna make a mess,” He panted, trembling a little with every breath. Sollux didn’t even pause,, he just kept going, his tongue becoming bait for Eridan’s overly eager bulge. “S-Sol…”

“I know, I know,” The Gemini murmured, glancing up with glowing eyes. “Juth’t truth’t me.”

How could he not? Sollux didn’t give him any time to doubt because before he could reply, a kneeing moan slipped past his defenses. It felt so good, even with his bruised body he felt nothing but pleasure. Sollux was smart, and he took care of Eridan in ways no one else over could. The highblood’s hearted started to pound as his bulge wrapped around the other’s tongue, and soon, pressure was building in his gut. It built fast, coiling his insides like a giant spring until it was just too much. “I’m not gonna last, Sol,” Eridan whined, head thrown back and body squirming, desperately seeking escape.

But Sollux didn’t want him to escape. He wanted Eridan to feel it. He knew his lover was self conscious about how long he could last, but something about causing the highblood to just let go and feel something beyond his control, excited Sollux to his core.

His form began to glow, just as two thick, crackling ropes of psionic energy wrapped snuggly around Eridan’s torso, binding his arms to his sides. He was stunned into stillness. “Sol, wwhat are you doin’?” He asked, straining against the ropes. “I can’t get awway.”

By that point Sollux had pulled back, just long enough to look his lover in the eyes. “I know.”

Cutting off every protest, Sollux took Eridan’s entire length into his mouth, sucking lightly and swallowing all he could, even before Eridan’s climax. When his lover finally did meet his limit, Sollux drew back again and wiped his mouth, smirking softly as he pet Eridan through his orgasm, letting the purple fluid spill noisily into the preset bucket just below.

After the psionic ropes dissolved, Eridan relaxed against the bed, breathing hard as Sollux crawled up beside him, a smudge of purple at the corner of his mouth. Eridan reached up with a lazy touch, wiping the bit of mess away. He opened his eyes, still glowing and Eridan pulled his lover down into a kiss, gasping in mild surprise when he could taste himself like a memory on Sollux’s tongue. For a moment, he tugged Sollux closer, kissing hard, but soon his grip began to loosen, the brush of his lips growing softer and slow. Eventually he grew still, eyelids drooping gradually closed.

The sound of laughter stirred him awake. He turned his head bashfully, face turning an attractive shade of violet. “I…”

“You tired?” Sollux asked, an amused smile on his face as he nuzzled into Eridan’s vanilla scented hair.

He _was_ tired, exhausted, but he hated to leave Sollux with a half empty bucket. “But-”

“Th’leep, you drama queen,” Chuckled the Gemini. “I’m fine, I’ll hold you while you reth’t up, okay?”

“You wwont leavve?”

“Not unleth’ Clovith’ needth’ me.”

Comforted, Eridan snuggled up close, mindful of his bruises and slipped into a deep, restful slumber. Sollux laughed again, closing his eyes as well. The cold shower could wait until morning.


	18. Chapter 18

“Pay attention, you fuck,” Cronus said, shouting over the sound of screeching metal. “I’m giving you gold here!”

Panting for breath, Eridan wiped the blood from his mouth and tired to focus on what he was being taught, despite how his head was spinning from the latest blow. He took a deep breath of stale, humid air, his gills aching for water. To train with Cronus, the water in his room had to be completely drained, or else the robot would be destroyed. Once everything was relatively dry, they had pushed all the furniture back against the walls, making room for Eridan to fight. Cronus wasn’t always the best teacher, and he often came home bruised and bloody, but Cronus seemed very eager to teach, and knew what he was doing. The elder troll needed someone to interact with, that much was obvious, and Eridan understood that pain, but his main goal was to find a way to beat that robot, he needed to get stronger.

Work outs, training, and castle visits filled the bulk of his time, and Sollux, desperate for something to do while his matesprit was away, had taken up computer programming again and was making a killing. That money on top of what Eridan was due as a prince provided more than enough income to care for their grub. Though top secret, their family was nearly perfect, only Eridan’s insecurities and his angry moiral kept him from being completely happy. He just needed to know he could rise above his pain; he needed to know he that was strong enough to survive again. The robot, to Eridan, was the only thing in his way. He looked up from the purple stained bandages protecting his knuckles, eyes narrowing, zeroing in on the oppressing hunk of metal. He could almost see it sweating, dirty and vile, just like the troll who created it. He didn’t dare look away, he only nodded, tensing for another attack. “Hit me again.”

Cronus sighed, but picked up the robot’s remote. He couldn’t control the bot’s actions, only stop and start it, that was all Equius had allowed. With one last glance at his little brother, he rolled his eyes, tapping the small, blue button with a flick of his thumb.

The Equius-bot charged, but Eridan was ready. He lashed out with a quick thrust of the arm, the heel of his hand connecting forcefully with the bot’s jaw, causing it’s head to snap back, allowing Eridan to punch it hard in the throat. On the other side of the room Cronus let out a howl of encouragement, clapping loudly as Eridan continued to spar. He really was learning.

By the time the robot actually got a blow in, Eridan was drenched in sweat. His face was flushed a dark purple and his heart pumped adrenaline through his veins. The kick had hit him hard in the gut and he grunted in pain, hardly able to take a breath before a steaming metal fist came down on his head, knocking him flat on the ground. “Get up, you punk!” He heard Cronus yell. The elder highblood hadn’t seen anything nearly as entertaining in a while.

Jaw set, Eridan pushed himself up on his elbows and grabbed the Equius-bot by its ankle, yanking it to the ground. He re-gripped it by its good horn, pulling himself on top so he could smash its head against the floor. The crash was loud and sparks flew, then everything was still, no sound stirring the air except for Eridan’s heavy breathing. “Wwhy’d you stop it?” He asked, picking himself up and shaking out his sore hands. He had though he had been doing alright.

“I didn’t,” Cronus said, sounding impressed.

“You mean I defeated it?”

“On its medium setting, but yeah.”

“You’vve gotta be _fuckin’_ kiddin’ me.”

“Oh calm down,” Sighed the elder, watching as Eridan tugged his shirt off, using it to mop up his sweat. “You’re doing really well, just go home and get some rest. Play with your grub or something.”

The mention of Clovis sent a rush of affection through Eridan, and he smiled past his shirt, lowering it enough so Cronus could see his grin. “Right.”

At first, Eridan was all too eager to leave the stuffy air pocket in favor of the cool, refreshing ocean, and he was even more pleased when thoughts of Clovis filled his mind, but when he got home, all was silent. Initially he panicked, sprinting through the hive with water dripping from his still wet hair, but when he got upstairs, his fear melted away. Sprawled out across the massive bed was Sollux, tangled up in a mess of blankets with the little wriggler curled up on his chest. Clovis rose and fell as the Gemini breathed, but didn’t seem bothered. He was peacefully slumbering, not even waking when Sollux snored. His heart squeezed, and he tip toed nearer, pressing gentle kisses to each of their foreheads before leaving to bandage himself up in the master bathroom. When he looked in the mirror, he was almost surprised at who he saw.

The troll that stared back may have been peppered with bandages and bruises, but in a good, rugged sort of way. He looked strong, there were muscles on his bones. Again, Eridan peeled his shirt away from his damp torso, reveling his thick, knotted scar. For the briefest of moments, Eridan though he could see his ribs, protruding against the parlor of his gray skin. Sucking in a gasping breath, he shook his head aggressively, ridding himself of the image. All that remained was the scar. He swallowed hard and looked at his face again, that time, he could again see the more vulnerable side of himself. His slim, almost gaunt frame, the way his glasses magnified his round eyes, and the helplessness in his face all forced him to realize that even after sweeps, he wasn’t entirely healed. Maybe he never would be.

Spinning on his heel, he abandoned the mirror and the reflection it held, his heart beating too hard in his chest. Why couldn’t he escape his past? That time was full of sickness, fear, and pain, what in his mind was forcing him to remember? He had nothing then, no one there to lean on, and nothing to distract himself other than a blade against his own skin, and powers he didn’t believe in. He rubbed nervously at his scarred wrists, retreating downstairs where he had left the battered robot. He glared at it, as if it was the machines fault his memory still haunted him. He knew he’d never be able to truly forget the hurt, but he was still desperate to put it behind him. He couldn’t live peacefully with it constantly scaring him.

Jaw set, Eridan picked up the remote to the robot, clicking the difficulty dial all the way up to kill. His thumb hovered over the start button, trembling. He had to rid himself of his fears.

Noisy wasn’t even close to the right word for the crash that rang out, signaling the beginning of the fight. Eridan’s fist slammed passionately against the chest of the machine, denting the metal frame. He fought harder than he thought possible, but soon he could feel his muscles burning as he warded off the robot’s attacks. Sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes until they blurred, opening him up for a punch to the face.

Lenses cracking had never sounded so loud.

“What ith’ your _obth’eth’ion_ with that thing?”

Rendered helpless by psionic energy, the Equius-bot sputtered and died, falling into a heap as Eridan straightened, squinting at his matesprit. A blur of lavender squirmed in his arms. “I-I thought you wwere sleepin’,” Eridan said lamely.

“We were,” Sollux said, raising the broken remains of Eridan’s glasses into the air. The psionic’s eyes seared brighter for a moment, then dulled as the frames lowered, mended, back into Eridan’s hands. “I heard a crath’th and figured it wath’ you and that damn robot again.”

He could hear the resentment in Sollux’s voice, and it broke his heart. “Sol…”

“Don’t,” The Gemini held up a hand, shifting Clovis into his free arm. “I _th’aw_ the hate in your eyeth’. It’th not _healthy_ to bottle up thoth’e kindth’ of feelingth’, if you’re th’o _black_ for EQ, you need to be with him.”

“He’ll tear me to bits,” Eridan protested, putting his glasses back on. “I _need_ to get stronger or he’ll _nevver-“_

“Eridan,” Sollux said sharply, pronouncing every syllable in his matesprit’s name. “You are one of the th’trongeth’t trollth’ I know. If EQ can’t accept you ath’ you are, he doeth’nt deth’erve you in hith’ quadrantth’. And take it from th;omeone who knowth’, you’re pretty fun to hate.” A wink and a hint of amusement crossed his face. “What’th’ _really_ bothering you?”

Unwrapping the bloody bandages from his knuckles, Eridan sighed. Sollux read him effortlessly. “I just don’t wwanna think right noww,” He mumbled, pushing back his sweaty, purple bangs. “Not about her. Fightin’ wwith that damn robot is a perfect distraction.”

Sollux gave a smug nod. “I know,” He said. “I talked to her.”

“You talked to Fef?”

“Yeah. Th’he called me thith’ morning ath’king if you were th’till mad at her. Th’he broke down, told me everything.”

Eridan gave him a weary look. “And?”

He shrugged, stepping near enough to rest his forehead on Eridan's, Clovis babbling between them. “I told _her_ everything.”

Eridan took Clovis into his arms and held him tight, running his ringed fingers through the baby’s soft, black hair. He giggled when his dad tickled his horns. “Evverythin’?”

Sollux nodded. “Yeah. You th’hould go talk to her, I bet th’he really needth’ her moiral.”

Reluctantly, Eridan handed Clovis back to Sollux, straightening up and glancing towards the basement as the tide came in, raising the water line. He listened as it ebbed softly against the steps. “you’re right,” He said. “I’ll go right now.”

“Be home th’oon,” Sollux warned, shifting the grub in his arms. “Clovith’ hath’ been really futh’y without you, I’m not th’ure I can get him to bed on my own.”

The highblood nodded, kissing his son on the forehead. There was a delighted, high pitched coo, and Eridan smiled. “I will.”

In the ocean again, Eridan took a deep breath, the rush of cool water through his gills doing wonders to relax him. Sollux was right, he didn’t need to fight an ugly robot to know he was strong. Cronus was right, he was doing well. Mood swings aside, Eridan had a loving family, an oddly protective ancestor, and a rapidly healing body. Things may not have been perfect, but they were close, and Eridan was about to get closer, he was sure of it.

He put on a burst of speed when the colors of the coral reef came into view, because lying among the shells and sponges, was the princess of the palace beyond, staring at the warped and distant stars glittering above. “Fef,” He shouted, jolting her from her thoughts. He waved eagerly, a lot like he had sweeps ago, when he was small. “Fef!”

“Eridan?” She asked, sitting up and glancing about. Flowers from the bed she rested in drifted in the water, framing her face. When she saw her moiral, her eyes grew huge beneath her goggles. “Eridan, you’re hurt!”

She swam to him as fast as she could, worry eating past her hurt feelings. He waved her off though, grasping her by the forearms. “I’m fine,” He assured her, bringing her close. “I came to talk, okay? I don’t wwanna fight wwith you, I wwanna fix us.”

There was a look in her eyes Eridan didn’t understand. It was distracted, torn, and very unsure. “Eridan, I-”

He words dissolved in her throat as a giant shadow loomed over them a brightly wicked smile gleaming their way. “I hear you guppies had a fight,” Meenah said, slowly circling them. She had come in her giant red battle ship, the owner of the shadow, and was backed by what looked like hundreds of seadwellers, including Cronus, all decked out in armor and heavily armed. “Whale, momma Condie had a surprise that’ll make it all better!”

The empress snapped her fingers twice and a skittish looking magenta blood paddled forward, holding out a small pillow with two beautiful, yet very different jewel encrusted crowns.

Eridan had seen such things many times throughout his life, as royalty he and Feferi had many different crowns, and in her case, an alarming collection of tiaras. She wore them often, though Eridan opted not to because of the way he wore his hair, even so, Feferi was surprised to see the glittering helms before them, because those very crowns only came off of display for one reason. “Battle crowns?” Feferi squeaked, alarmed. “Meenah!”

Despite how she backed away, the magenta blood placed the gleaming accessory on her head, and in turn, did the same for Eridan before bowing and disappearing into the crowd. Eridan met Cronus’s eyes and frowned, watching as his brother shifted uncomfortably in his heavy armor. That was no random crowd, Cronus didn’t just get up for anything. The Condess had risen an army. “Wwhat’s goin’ on here?” Eridan demanded.

“We’re gonna crush the revolution!” Meenah cheered, simply glowing with sick excitement. She was the only one who seemed pleased. “The humans are getting _too fucking cozy_ here. They want to invade us, they want to change us!”

“Wwhat’s wwrong wwith a little change?” Eridan wanted to know. A shocked silece settled over the crowed, and the prince clenched his fists.  “Wwell?”

“Everyfin,” The Condess hissed, getting closer than Eridan _ever_ would have liked. “Trolls are strong, we’re all strong, why do you think that is?”

“Natural selection” Eridan answered automatically, lesions from his childhood resurfacing as if he had learned them the day before. “Wwhen wwe’re grubs, wwe battle our wway out of the cavverens, and if wwe make it out alivve, the scent of our blood attracts lusi. If wwe’re lucky, one wwill chose us, if not, wwe starvve.”

“Exactly!” She snapped. “If we grew up their way, if we just kept all of our young like humans, our world would be clogged with punk ass wimps, and sentimental parents doing all _kinds_ of stupid shit to keep the brats happy! What kind of world would _that_ be?”

“A happier one!” He cried, temper flaring. “Wwe could all havve families, people to care for, people to lovve!”

“You had a lusus,” She sniffed, ignoring the passion in his voice. “But then you went and killed it or some shit. Not my fault.”

“I wwould havve _nevver_ harmed him!” He screamed, voice breaking. “He loved me more than anyone evver has, that’s howw it is wwith grubs! You _lovve_ them!”

He thought he heard Feferi gasp, but the Condess spoke before he could be sure. “You sound like one of _them.”_

Eridan thought of John’s kindness, how he put so much effort into helping others and keeping people functioning. “I'm glad,” He sneered.

“Prep for battle,” She shouted, gesturing to the whole army to board the ship. Her eyes locked on Eridan and she glared, something truly murderous in her gaze. Eridan kept stiff, unwavering. “You have one hour.”

With a dramatic swish of his cape, Eridan was gone, rushing for home at top speed. “Sollux!” He called, urgently sprinting through the hive, searching for his loved ones. “Sollux! Clovvis!” He started to panic, and he yanked his phone from his pocket, tapping Sollux’s preset speed dial. There was no answer. “Fuck,” He cried, running out the front door and tearing across the sand. He didn’t stop to catch his breath and he didn’t slow down, not until he got to Karkat’s hive and nearly collapsed, pounding on the door. Sollux’s bike was parked out front.

Karkat answered quickly, and before Eridan could speak a word he was yanked inside by the scarf. Sollux was already inside, but he didn’t even look up at the sound of approaching feet. Both he and John were huddled around a basket, filled with blankets and perched on the kitchen table. One look from Karkat kept Eridan’s mouth shut, and slowly, the seadweller took a step forward, itching to get a closer look at the contents of that basket. Sollux saw him then and took his hand, leading him towards it. Eridan gave it a weary look, but pulled the blanket back. He gasped as if he had been bitten, and his eyes locked on Sollux’s. The Gemini only nodded.

Swathed in blankets, was a small, lavender cocoon, woven tightly, with no way to peer inside. Eridan’s voice was twisted with worry. “Clovvis.”


	19. Chapter 19

((IMPORTANT NOTICE! There will be an epilog at the end of this story, so when and if you see something reading “End of part three,” The story is NOT quite over.  In other news, I have recived some very sweet comments, some to short to really reply, but kind none the less. You know who you are, and I appreciate your complements and your fangirl-ish “Eeee!” Now, enjoy the show))

John would never forget the agonized look on Eridan’s face, he would never forget the worry that rolled off of the parent in waves as he panicked over what was to come. The empress was readying for battle, set on destroying every violation of her rules and whims, purging the planet of the human influence. “Wwe’vve gotta protect Clovvis,” The prince had sobbed, clinging to the tiny cocoon. “Sh-she’ll kill him without a though, I just knoww she wwill!”

“We can still save him,” John said, gears in his head grinding wildly. “All we have to do is keep calm and think, right? Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?”

“We’ll keep him with uth’,” Sollux suggested. “We’ll take him home and guard him until he hatcheth’.”

“Then wwhat?” Eridan demanded. “She’ll still knoww wwe broke the law. Evven if wwe could trick her, the plan can’t wwork. This is _wwar_ Sol! If I don’t show up in less than an hour, wwe’re all dead!”

“Go,” John said, taking the cocoon from Eridan’s arms. “Do what you can on the other side, stall if possible. I’ll handle things here.” Eridan was hesitant, but something in john’s eyes was sure. His tone was steady, unwavering and unafraid. “Go!”

With one last tourtured look, Eridan turned for the door. John saw Sollux catch the prince by the wrist, yank him near and embrace him tightly, whispering goodbyes and kissing in a way that was nothing short of desperate. John could only imagine the way there were feeling, the worry, the helpless need to protect their baby, and the fear of failing. Even as Eridan left, John couldn’t tear his gaze away. He held the cocoon tighter. “We will protect him, Sollux,” John said firmly, handing the troll his kid. “I have an idea.”

Turning away from the Gemini, John took Karkat by the hands, wiping the tears of red from his cheeks. “Listen to me,” John said. “Gather up the land dwellers, as many as you can. We’re building an army.”

“John are you insane?” Karkat demanded, voice breaking as he gripped the human’s hands. “No one’s ever gone up against the Condess before, we’ll get culled in seconds!”

“It’s only a formality,” John assured him, pulling him into a brief hug. “It’s a precaution, just enough resistance to knock her down a few pegs. Do you trust me?”

“Of course, you shit,” Karkat sniffed, half heartedly pounding his fist against John’s chest.

“Then go, tell everyone you can to meet us right here.”

Karkat nodded sharply and broke away from their embrace, and John did the same, yanking his phone from his pocket. He and Karkat contacted everyone they could while Sollux looked after Clovis, and soon, the hive was flooded with faces both familiar and new. John gave everyone a place to be and a job to do, no one was ever idle. He delivered orders softly, like requests and yet, no one ever questioned or disobeyed. In no time at all, everyone was armed and moving out, leaving Clovis in the care of Rose and Kanaya, the two most nurturing people they knew. “If he hatches,” John instructed. “Take him back to Sollux’s hive. Don’t take your eyes off of him for a second, okay?”

“Understood, John,” Rose said, taking Kanaya’s hand and giving a reassuring smile. “Good luck.”

After giving her the basket with Clovis inside, John shouldered Zillywho and jogged towards the mix matched army, many people, including him, decked out in their God tier jammies. As soon as he entered the cluster, everyone feel silent and looked straight at him, awaiting his instructions. “Fall in line, everyone,” He shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. “We’ll lead them to the square, keep them away from the sea and cut off retreat. No one fire, no one aim, we’re going to enter this peacefully. Only fight on my command!” A murmur of acknowledgment rippled through the crowed and John nodded. “Alright then. Move out!”

The marching began, John putting himself in the very first line, ready for action. When they arrived the square was peaceful, and John was about to search for signs of approach when Karkat suddenly appeared in front of him looking up with admiration in his eyes. “Look at you,” Karkat muttered, shuffling his feet. “It really is effortless, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“This,” Karkat said, gesturing vaguely to the gathering around them. “The planning, the organizing, handling people, all of it comes naturally to you, doesn’t it?”

“I'm only doing my best,” John said modestly.

Karkat rolled his eyes, then stepped in closer, resting his hands on John’s shoulders. John smiled and took Karkat by the waist, but before he could speak again he was being smothered, embraced, and kissed hard. He shivered. “You, are an _amazing_ leader, John,” Karkat whispered, gentle stroking the edge of John’s jaw. “I love you.”

Heart melting in his chest, John leaned in to steal another kiss, but then the hairs on the back of his neck prickled, standing at attention in a way very different from what Karkat’s touches usually triggered. He whipped around at once, then, time seemed to all but stop. “Get ready,” He said to everyone.

In the distance, a monstrous ship spewed heavily armed seadwellers, some of them John recognized, but most complete strangers. Only one of them, the empress, looked at all pleased. He only caught a glimpse of her, just one look before a blinding flash of red and blue was hurled his way. Driven by instinct, John drew his hammer and ran forward, knocking the deadly blast aside with on mighty swing. The sound was deafening, the force of the collision sending John staggering backwards, bearly able to focus in time to see the Condess literally catch the glowing orb, spinning it around and around as an unseen force fed it more and more energy. “Uh, oh.”

The orb grew and grew and John couldn’t tear his eyes away, until suddenly, he heard a scream. _“Kar!”_

Eridan’s voice rattled in John’s head, blue eyes going wide as a flash of black and gray leaped in front of him, colliding with the giant, psionic bomb before it could reach him. “No!” John cried, voice broken with agony. Karkat lay sparking at his feet. “No, no, no! Please no!”

He dropped to his knees and reached for karkat, but his hand was zapped by an outlying spark before he could get within an inch. He grabbed the troll anyway. At one point he was distantly aware of Sollux getting close, trying to counteract the blow with his own powers, but all he could focus on was how alarmingly light Karkat felt, so limp in his arms.

“C’mon kk,” Sollux said, trying hard to focus. He was keeping the negative forces at bay and he knew he was strong enough to beat them, but between John in hysterics beside him, the other land dwellers dissolving into a panic, and the fact that somewhere on the other side was a Psionic worlds more powerful than he was, concentrating was becoming a feat of will. “Dammit,” He muttered, eyes stinging with the threat of tears. “Eridan, where are you?”

The answer was a place that the prince never expected to be. In chains.

When Eridan had arrived at the ship, he was choking on his own sobs, stumbling through the hot sand. Worry was paralyzing, physically painful. Feferi was at his side in seconds though, drawing him away from the crowed. “Glub, what _happened_ to you?” She demanded, the pitch of her voice raised in alarm. “Eridan, breathe!”

“It’s Clovvis,” He panted, desperately. “I knoww you knoww about him. He… He _pupated_ Fef, if your ancestor finds a cocoon without a lusus guardin’ it she’ll… sh-she’ll…”

“Calm down. You can’t worry about him right now, we have much more important things-”

“More important than a _fuckin’ baby?”_ Eridan demanded, voice a booming roar of outrage. “Fef that grub… That _kid_ means _evverythin’_ to me, don’t you _dare_ tell me he’s not important! Wwe havve to _do something!”_

“Eridan, there’s nothing we can do, get on the ship-”

_“Not until he’s safe!”_

“You have to get on now, Eridan, if you don’t…”

_“No!”_ Eridan was hysterical, lashing out every time Feferi tried to lead him to where the army was gathered. He fought tirelessly until out of the blue, he couldn’t move at all, a familiar tingle of crackling energy spreading across his skin. His eyes darted wildly, going wide when he saw who it was standing before him then.

Dressed in a full body suit of yellow and black, complete with gloves, boots, and a very unique helmet, a tall, twitchy mustard blood stood hand in hand with the Condess. There was a look of dread and guilt on what Eridan could see if his face. “I’m sh’o sh’orry,” The psionic whispered, but them, he shrieked in pain, hands flying up to protect his face. Sparks flew everywhere. There was suddenly an angry looking hand print on his cheek, and the Condess glowered down at him. “Sh’orry,” He mumbled again, trembling.

“Shut up, Mituna,” Meenah snapped, looking back towards Eridan with a cold sneer. “Just keep him contained.”

Eridan cried out in protest as Mituna produced two glowing chains, locking the princes wrists together and tugging him along. Eridan couldn’t have even tried to count every apology the psionic issued, but he knew that Meenah must have hit him twice as much. Once though, Eridan was almost sure she saw them kiss, but before he could think much of it, he was thrown out of the ship.

The whole ride had been a blur of pleading, struggling, and desperately reaching for his wand. It had been no use of course, and even as they left the vessel he was kept carefully bound. He writhed violently when the Condess commanded Mituna to fire, he even cried out for Cronus, hoping help would come from him. It didn’t. Finally, another scream joined his and he looked up to see tears streaming down Feferi’s face. She pointed towards the opposing army, and Eridan felt a spasm of fear. _“Kar!”_

“I can’t watch this,” Feferi sobbed as the explosion cleared. “Wwell you can’t just _ignore_ it!” Eridan snapped, tears pouring down his face. “Or did you _wwant_ this? You are the _only one who can challenge her, Fef!_ If you don’t take ovver noww, and I mean _right noww,_ our friends are gonna die!”

Feferi threw the Condess a tortured glance, biting her lip as the empress took aim again, cackling as her skittish kismeses fueled her fire. Eridan let out one last tear. “Please.”

Gathering all of her courage, Feferi stepped forward, putting herself boldly between her ancestor and the next target. “Meenah,” She snapped. “Step down, right now.”

Meenah just scoffed. “For what?”

“Unjust assault,” Feferi replied. “Karkat Vantas never violated a single law.” She paused for a moment, then drew her trident, the jewels in her crown glimmering. “And also, because I said so.”

“Look here, princess,” Meenah hissed. “Don’t you get your panties in a wad now, just because I took down some shouty ass mutant. You know you’d never be able to take my place.”

“Step _down_ Meenah,” Feferi commanded, her voice loud and full of authority. Eridan had never heard her sound that way before. “I am _through_ being your heiress, your reign is now over. Step down.”

“Or what?”

“Or you’re dead,” She said coldly. “You’re choice.”

With a wicked, earsplitting shriek, Meenah took aim on Feferi, but the second she lifted her arms to throw, the ball of energy dissolved, as well as the chains binding Eridan. “I’m sh’orry Meenah,” Mituna said. “But no.”

“Guards!” Feferi barked. “Get her out of my sight!”

After the Condess was hauled away, all was silent. No one, not troll or human, made a sound. Everyone simply watched as Feferi stepped forward, gazing down at her people with an air of curiosity. Finally, she broke the silence. “I know I am young,” She began. “And I know that I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I am no better than any off you, really, all I have in my favor is blood, and a few lesions on what not to do, taught by my ancestor. I don’t expect anyone to treat me any different than before, all I want is respect. Being an empress would be too much like being a dictator for me, but I would be happy, honored even, to rule openly as your princess. Still, I can’t work all alone.” She glanced sideways and offered her hand. “By my side, I need a prince. My prince.”

Eridan, not knowing whether to be shocked, relived, frightened, or overjoyed, knelt down at Feferi’s feet just like he had always imagined he would. He took her hand with the softest of touches, giving it a gentle kiss. “I’ll be loyal for life,” Eridan promised. “You knoww that.”

A beautiful giggle graced his ears. “Stand, Prince Ampora.”

Grinning, he did as he was told; lacing his fingers though hers as he scanned the crowed. Suddenly, he had every reason to smile. Karkat, though leaning heavily on John and Sollux both, was fine. He was smiling, John was smiling, and Sollux was literally glowing with pride. Karkat started to clap, sarcastically at first but it caught like a wild fire, and suddenly, the crowd erupted into applause. His smile widened and he and Feferi bowed, giggling like they were two seeps old again. “Let’s get goin’,” Eridan whispered to her. “I havve somethin’ real special I wwant you to see.”

The moirals needed know more words to know that their fighting was over, and together, the joined up with their friends and hurried back to Karkat’s hive. “Hurry in, everyone, get a move on,” Rose was saying, giving Eridan a playful sneer. “It’s almost time.”

Just as Eridan entered the hive, a soft crack jolted everyone into silence. In the basket on the table, the cocoon was starting to split open, a soft and familiar cooing coming from the inside. “Oww, get off, yucky yucky,” Clovis babbled, shoving away chunks of cocoon with his brand new limbs. “He wiggled and squirmed within the remains of his little pod until finally managing to sit up, fixting his round gray eyes right on Eridan. He smiled, reaching out with both hands. “Daddy!”

Bursting into tears of joy, Eridan abandoned his awestruck moiral and ran to Clovis, scooping the naked toddler into his arms and smothering him in kisses. “Clovvis, baby, you’re so big!” He practically sobbed, feeling Sollux’s arms envelope them both. “Look at you, look at your little hands!”

“Daddy,” He giggled again, grabbing onto Sollux’s horns. “Hi, Daddy!”

“Hey buddy,” Sollux said enthusiastically, beaming at his child. “How’th it feeling being out of there, huh?”

“The poor dear is _naked,”_ Kanaya interrupted, shoving her way into the family huddle with a small bundle of fabric. “Both of you are lucky I thought ahead! Men!”

Laughing, Eridan surrendered Clovis to Kanaya’s insistent hands, watching as his little boy was diapered and dressed. He was so distracted; he jumped when he felt Sollux’s mouth on his. “He’s so perfect, Sol,” Eridan murmured, unable to help the tears that fell.

Sollux laughed and brushed them away, but Eridan could see the yellow spilling down his matesprit’s cheeks. He wasn’t the only one getting emotional. “Yeah, he really ith’.”

** End of part three. **


	20. Epilogue

** Epilogue **

“Watch it with thoth’e pant’th, GZ,” Sollux laughed, shaking his head as he watched the thoroughly stoned clown juggle bottles, brushes, and a pallet. “What are you gonna do with all of that?”

“It’s all one big motherfucking present for the little motherfucker, bro,” Gamzee answered cheerfully. “Even the tiny little bro’s need to get their color on when the time is all up and right, know what I motherfucking mean, man?”

“Not a clue,” He laughed.

As far as parties went, the trolls involved in Sgrub really weren’t too practiced. They had been busy slaying beasts and saving the planet, such things didn’t allow much time for celebration, but everyone agreed that Clovis was worth celebrating. It had been mostly Eridan’s idea, but everyone was in on it, all working together to make the young troll feel just as special as everyone knew he was. It hadn’t been discussed, but everyone seemed to be bringing gifts. “Where is the little motherfucker, anyway? Tavbro was just all up and telling me about the motherfucking ukulele that his uncle Cronus motherfucking brought him, is he all up and in that strumming zone?”

“Could be,” Sollux shrugged, maybe I’ll go look for him, he’th’ gotta be around here, th’omewhere.

Nodding, Gamzee continued to juggle and Sollux made his way into the play room, hearing not only the familiar giggle of his son, but also the booming chortle of  someone much older, and almost as familiar. He stepped inside, opening his mouth to speak but before he could make a sound, a bulky helmet was rammed against his gut, followed by a high pitched giggle and the clapping of tiny hands. “Sh’ollux, my _man!”_ Mituna screamed, capturing his little brother in a head lock, sending sparks everywhere as they playfull brawled. “Sh’ollux, Sh’ollux, Sh’ollux are you okay, dude? Did I hurt you?”

“Nah,” Sollux laughed. “I’m fine.”

Mituna shoved Sollux forcefully, sending the younger flailing to the floor. “Good, now make me a sh’andwich!”

He and Clovis erupted into a fit of laughter and Sollux rolled his eyes behind his shades, picking himself back up. “Make your own th’andwich, ath’hat,” Sollux chuckled. “I need Clovith’.”

“No, he’sh mine!” Mituna protested, tugging the kid nearer. “We were gonna play _gamesh’!”_

“I th’ee that, but thith’ ith’ hith’ party,” Sollux explained. “There are a lot of people here to th’ee him.”

Reluctantly, Mituna released the toddler. “Bye, bye, uncle tuna,” Clovis giggled, hugging him tight before scampering up to his father, leaping into his arms. “Hi Daddy.”

“Hey there, little man,” Sollux greeted him, ruffling the kid’s messy hair. “Gamzee got you a little th’omthing, wanna come check it out?”

“Yes I do!” He said enthusiastically.

“Of courth’e you do.”

Situating Clovis on his hip, Sollux carried him back into the living room where a few people were gathered, watching Gamzee set up his paints beside a small. Child sized easel. When Clovis was brought in, a smile graced every face. The child, though hardly a sweep old, was already so loved. “Come on, Clovis bro,” Gamzee encouraged him. “Let’s get all up in your color zone!”

Eagerly wiggling free of his father’s hold, Clovis ran towards the easel, stopping only to receive kisses from Kanaya and Rose. He picked up a brush then, gripping it like it was made for him. His hold on it made Sollux think of the way Eridan held his wand, and when the child made his first brush stroke, Sollux couldn’t help but grin.

Not much time went by before his finished the painting, leaving the elder trolls cheering and tossing out generous complements. Spouting off encouragement of his own, Sollux leaned forward to get a peak at the easel and gasped, not having expected to be so honestly impressed. The art was abstract and mostly made of irrational splashes of color, and yet, just barely off center was a simple, lavender symbol that resembled a whale diving underwater. Delighted, Kanaya declared her adoration for the little sign and vowed to produce a sweater bearing it by the end of the week. When she asked Clovis what had inspired him, he cheerfully replied: “Frootloops!”

Amusement if nothing else prompted Sollux to retreat into the kitchen. He could tell when Clovis was dropping hints, and he found himself smiling as he poured a pile of colorful loops into a little, whale patterned bowl.

“Isn’t it funny how a single child can change so much?”

Sollux turned and smiled wider, pushing his shades up to flash his psionics in greeting. “Hey, AA,” He said. “You th’ound like an expert.”

“She gestured to the bowl of cereal. “You look like one, yourself.”

“I’m not, really,” He said modestly. “I mean, I get a lot of practice, but Eridan is much better with him than me.”

Aradia came over to where Sollux stood and took him by the hand, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. “You’re sweet,” She told him.

A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as she casually turned to leave. Suddenly though she paused, peering over his shoulder. “By the way, I thought you should know, you’re matesprit is having  it out with Equius in the dining room.”

“Oh god,” Sollux groaned, playfully rolling his eyes.

After delivering the Frootloops to Clovis, Sollux made his way to the dining room where Eridan and Equius were engaged in the most aggressive arm wrestling match Sollux had ever seen. A couple of similar looking human guys with alarmingly pale hair shouted encouragement at them, fueling the fire. Biceps bulged and sweat beaded on their foreheads, Equius was already drenched. An abrupt snarl ripped from Eridan, and his entire form was enveloped in an enchanting white light. “Cheating,” Equius accused, more breathless than usual. The humans, silent then, were staring curiously at the blazing aura.

“S’just somethin’ I do,” Eridan sneered. Though it was true he didn’t always have complete control of his powers, something told Sollux that the little boost wasn’t exactly a mistake. Equius’s hand hit the table with a bang. Sollux chuckled.

“Rematch,” Equius hissed.

A smirk tugged at Eridan’s mouth as his glowing aura tosses shadows across his face, making him look sinister and intimidating. He tossed out his cape. “Wwhy don’t wwe take this outside?”

Knowing a challenge when one was issued, Equius followed Eridan out to the front yard. As soon as the prince set foot into the sand, he was knocked to the ground, where the struggle began. He swore colorfully, attempting punches and kicks, but he gained nothing. Wrestling was dependent on brute strength, something Eridan didn’t really have. Since he didn’t stoop to cheating again, Eridan was quickly pinned beyond escape. The fight had attracted attention, but no one moved yet. The two highbloods were locked into a death stare, eyes burning into each other’s until they seemed to break, aggressively and suddenly coming together in a violent kiss. People hooted and teased, some whistled loudly, then finally, Equius yanked away with a look of unveiled revulsion. “If a rematch is desired,” He growled, voice only slightly unsteady. “It will be held at _my_ hive, far, far away from the _vile_ froth of the sea.”

Eridan was left on the sand as the blue blood stormed away, and Sollux approached with a look of amusement, offering a hand to pull him to his feet. “Whoa now, getting a little dark there, aren’t we?”

The prince brushed himself off with a nervous laugh, lacing his fingers through Sollux’s. “Yeah, so wwhat if I am?” He rolled his eyes. “But nevver you, right?” You’re too soft for a kismeses.

“I’d rather be flushed,” Sollux murmured, pulling his matesprit into a gentle kiss. He could feel Eridan’s arms going around him, soft fingertips stroking the nape of his neck, tugging at his hair. A kiss like that one could have pulled Eridan from any funk. Though it was casual and controlled, the prince was reminded through every touch, or just how in love he really was.

Towards the beginning of their lives, back when Eridan had nothing and he and Sollux wanted each other dead, he never would have believed anything could ever go his way. He’d been through too much, he’d caused too much pain, and eventually, he was punished for his actions. That punishment left ugly scars, both physical and emotional, but then, that was life. When he needed someone to lean on, Sollux had come along, making everything better. Eridan would have never healed without his love and care. Sollux would always be his savior, the love of his life, he was happy with him. “I lovve you, Sol,” He whispered, opening up his eyes.

Sollux looked down at him and started to smile, but a sudden burst of sound made him look up, glancing towards their hive and the ocean beyond. “Th’peaking of love,” He murmured.

Eridan looked too, dace brightening into an affectionate grin as he watched Clovis, splashing through the surf with Feferi on his heels. She had gotten him a little crown, and he wore it crooked and proud as he ran towards his loving parents. Eridan dropped to his knees, arms open wide, hugging the dripping child the second he was in reach. “Hide me, Daddy!” He squealed urgently.”Don’t let her find me!”

Laughing, Eridan threw his cape over them both, heart melted the sound of giggles and playful shrieking. Sollux joined them in their make shift tent, illuminating the space with bright red and blue. Family wasn’t a concept well known to trolls, but the three of them, their ancestors, and their friends, understood it perfectly. Troubles did reach them as their life went on, but that couldn’t be helped. No matter what life threw at them they always recovered stronger than ever, and Eridan never went back to that dark prison of his past. Sollux, Clovis, and everyone else who cared about him provided a safety net of open arms, always ready to fix the broken, find the lost, and kiss the nightmares away.  
 **  
The End.**


End file.
